WASHINGTON, D.C.—Thousands of people from across the country gathered to demonstrate against the Biden administration’s role in the Israel-Hamas war and form the People’s Red Line to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza. Throughout the day, protestors called on President Joe Biden to halt military assistance to Israel and press for a swift ceasefire.
Organizers wanted the day to remind President Biden that he said an invasion of Rafah was a red line. However, the invasion of Rafah has continued for weeks, has expanded to the entire Gaza Strip and left numerous bodies in the rubble.
Where is President Biden’s red line protesters asked? They remarked how instead of following through and stopping military aid to Israel, President Biden has authorized billions more in weapons shipments to be used to kill and massacre Palestinians.
The White House defended their decisions in May that a deadly Israeli strike on Rafah did not cross a “red line” that President Biden had seemingly set two months earlier when asked about a potential invasion of the southern Gazan city.
“Biden can’t draw the line, but we can,” explained organizers at the June 8 march that included the Palestinian Youth Movement and the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition. “We come together from across the country and to surround the White House.
Wearing red, and raising our demands high, we will show the world that we are the red line. We demand an immediate ceasefire, an immediate end to the siege on Gaza, the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners, and an end to the occupation of Palestine,” organizers stated.
Malik, a Maryland college student who withheld his last name, traveled from the other side of Baltimore to attend the march. “Enough is enough,” he told The Final Call. “I was hopeful when the president talked about the Israelis not crossing a red line.
But they have crossed the red line over and over again. How many more people have to die? How many more women and children have to starve or be massacred? I’m here because the president needs to know enough is enough.”
Protesters created a ring around the mile-long White House perimeter with red paper that contained the handwritten names of the more than 36,000 Palestinians killed during the war. “Biden, Biden, you’re a liar! We demand a ceasefire!” they shouted.
“Ain’t no power like the power of the people!” The protesters marched along the perimeter and filled Lafayette Square across the street from the White House.
Red was the color of the day for many of the protesters. They carried Palestinian flags and signs stating, “Biden’s red line was a lie” and “Bombing children is not self-defense.”
The White House increased security with an additional anti-scale perimeter fence ahead of the demonstration, which saw chartered buses from Maine to Florida. President Biden was in France with President Emmanuel Macron for a state dinner in Paris.
Demonstrators focused their chants on the various tourists and spectators in the crowd. Their chants encouraged the onlookers to reconsider their support for the president ahead of the election this fall.
“I’ve been a Biden supporter since his time with President Obama,” Alice Donaldson, a D.C. resident told The Final Call. “I’m so disappointed in him, that I will not be voting for him in November. My vote will be going to someone else. I can’t support genocide,” she said.
“This is my first time coming to a protest. I’m a senior citizen and don’t usually get involved in this stuff but I’ve seen too many pictures of dead women and children. How many more will be too many? It doesn’t seem like there’s number for too many dead Palestinians. It’s a sad day to be an American.”
To add insult to injury, many of the protesters said they believed the recent surprise June 8 raid in Gaza to free four hostages that also reportedly killed over 200 Palestinians was done with U.S. aid.
“Why are we funding death and destruction in Israel?” Christine, from Virginia, told The Final Call. “Why are my taxes being used to kill Palestinians? President Biden says one thing but does something else.
This war could have been over months ago but instead, we allow children, and women to starve. We could be doing so much to help the Palestinians but instead, we allow this death and destruction,” she added.
The day ended by late afternoon, when tens of thousands of protesters finished marching around the perimeter, without any arrests made according to law enforcement.
