US Jewish-led protests over Gaza gain momentum as hundreds arrested

Thousands of demonstrators, led by a coalition of progressive Jewish groups, marched to the US Capitol on Wednesday, 18 October, to demand the US pressure Israel for an immediate ceasefire in its war on Gaza.

As planned, a break-away group of demonstrators entered the Capitol building to practice civil disobedience, resulting in the arrests of around 500 Jewish activists.

Prominent speakers at the event were author Naomi Klein and congress members Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush, who addressed a growing crowd of more than 5,000. Klein estimated that this was the largest Jewish protest in solidarity with Palestinians in US history.

Wednesday's demonstration built on the momentum of a similar one that took place on Sunday, when the progressive Jewish groups IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace led a march to the White House, where several activists were arrested for blocking the entrances.

The crowd two days later was much larger and more diverse, drawing a significant number of Arabs, Blacks and others, and many who had come from different states to attend. There was also a much larger police presence, which blocked off nearby office building steps and created a path for congressional staff to be escorted to and from the buildings.

Hundreds of primarily Jewish protesters are currently in the Capitol’s Cannon building staging a sit-in protest, calling on Biden and Congress to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

They’re slowly being arrested. pic.twitter.com/mGLELwRj6p

— Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) October 18, 2023

The demonstration, which began at noon, continued until after sunset, long after the arrests were made, as protesters continued to wave their signs in their air, chanting and singing, accompanied by a local marching band.

With the music and large turn-out, the mood was energetic and defiant, with protesters expressing a sense of urgency amid the quickly-changing developments in Israel and Gaza.

"I am legally an Israeli citizen. My mother is Israeli, half my family lives in Israel, my brother is currently in Jerusalem, I have cousins serving in the IDF. I don't want any of these people to die. I don't want any Gazans to die," Avi Ackermann, 23, a recent university graduate who came from New York for the demonstration, told The New Arab.

"I don't want Jewish death to be an excuse for the mass murder of Palestinians. I don't want Jewish death to be an excuse for cholera outbreaks because Israel has decided, with the help of the US, that it can turn off the water in plain violation of international law, and inflict on the Palestinians the kind of suffering we have come to know across our entire history," he said.

Standing nearby was Gabriel Connolly, 32, who had driven overnight from Massachusetts to show his solidarity with Palestinians.

"I'm not Jewish, but I have Jewish and Palestinian friends. I've always cared about what's going on with the occupation of Palestinians and their lack of rights and second-class citizenship," he told TNA.

"I have two children of my own. I can't imagine the horrible things happening to children. If they don't die from bombs, they'll die from starvation."