Thousands March to White House and Demand Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
PRESSURE
Mark Alfred / The Daily Beast
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through the streets of Washington, D.C. and amassed in front of the White House on Saturday as part of nationwide rallies calling for a ceasefire in Gaza amid Israel’s retaliatory strikes on the region. Several dozen police vehicles cordoned off streets near the White House, with the Secret Service out in full force as thousands gathered and called for an end to U.S. financial support of Israel. President Joe Biden was not present for the march, spending the weekend at his vacation home in Delaware. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged “humanitarian pauses” to aid Palestinians, but Israel has worked to press on with its offensive. Hundreds of Palestinians made it out of Gaza to Egypt on Friday, officials said, with millions still working to survive off sparse resources.