Amelie Houk disrupted a press conference held to condemn a mob attack on Jewish students during an anti-Israel protest in October 2023 at Cooper Union College.
From Washington to Milan to Paris, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday, united in their call for an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. These widespread marches reflected a growing sense of concern regarding the increasing number of civilian casualties and the suffering caused by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
In particular, protesters in countries with significant Muslim populations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, voiced their frustration with their governments’ support of Israel while Israel’s bombings, including those of hospitals and residential areas in Gaza, continued to escalate.
The death toll on the Palestinian side in the Israel-Hamas conflict has risen to 9,448, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In Israel, over 1,400 people have lost their lives, with the majority of casualties resulting from the Hamas attack on October 7th, which marked the beginning of the war.
In the United States, thousands gathered in the nation’s capital to express their opposition to the Biden administration’s support for Israel and its ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Demonstrators, many of whom were wearing black and white keffiyehs, chanted slogans like “Palestine will be free.” They unfurled an enormous Palestinian flag along Pennsylvania Avenue, the road leading to the White House.
Renad Dayem from Cleveland made the journey with her family to make sure her children understood that the Palestinian people are resilient and to call for a leader who does not appear to be influenced by the Israeli government. The demonstrations around the world underscore the global concern and desire for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in the region.