WASHINGTON - Tens of thousands of people marched and rallied in Washington DC on Saturday in support of the Palestinian people, calling for an immediate ceasefire amidst Israel's ongoing campaign and ground offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The march, titled the "National March on Washington for Free Palestine," saw tens of thousands of demonstrators from across the United States (US) heading to Washington DC's Freedom Plaza to demand an immediate cessation of Israeli aggression, reported Palestinian News and Information Agency (Wafa).
Protestors filled Freedom Plaza and spilled beyond in front of the White House, with the crowd stretching for at least half a mile down the surrounding streets.
This demonstration appeared to be one of the largest displays of solidarity with the Palestinian people to date.
The march, held concurrently with similar protests in other cities worldwide, is part of an escalating effort to call for both a ceasefire in the Israeli aggression on Gaza and an end to US and Western military aid to Israel.
Brian Becker, director of the Answer coalition in addressing the crowd, said that public support in the US for the Palestinian people had "entered a new era unlike any that had come before it.”
He drew parallels with the anti-apartheid movement against South Africa four decades ago, noting that at its inception, the US Congress still deemed Nelson Mandela a terrorist. However, seven years later, Mandela became the president of South Africa.
According to Becker, change occurs "in leaps and bounds,” but not solely due to actions in Congress or the occupants of the White House. Instead, it arises from the efforts of communities and individuals taking to the streets.
"The change comes from us... We’re sending a strong message, a very strong message to Joe Biden: if you stand with genocide, we hold you guilty of genocide,” he said.
"When you kill 10,000 Palestinians not because of what they’ve done but because of who they are, when you commit genocide against a people, and destroy a people in whole or in part, you are guilty of genocide and that’s why we’re going to the White House.” - BERNAMA-WAFA