Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists gathered around the White House on Saturday — hundreds forming a human chain two miles long — in protest of President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza.
“Biden, we are your red line,” one organizer said into a megaphone as crowds cheered.
They’re responding to Biden’s comments from early last month that he would not supply offensive weapons if Israel crossed a “red line” and launched an all-out assault on Rafah.
Though there has been confirmed Israeli military activity in Rafah — the president said Israel hasn’t crossed that line yet.
“A red line is supposed to mean that there are consequences for the actions of rogue states like Israel,” Nas Issa, with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said. “And we’re here as a movement to say that if Biden won’t draw the red line, we will as a people.”
U.S. Secret Service agents erected fencing around the White House in anticipation of the protests.
Hundreds of organizers formed a human chain surrounding the fence’s perimeter. Participants held a two-mile-long strip of red paper signifying the “red line” as other protesters marched around its border.
“We’re calling on Biden to use the leverage and tools that he has at his disposal to bring Israel to the table for cease-fire negotiations,” Issa said. “We’re calling for an arms embargo to stop the genocidal violence that we’ve been seeing for the past eight months. And we’re also calling for an end to the occupation and the freedom for Palestinian political prisoners.”
Israel completed its largest hostage rescue operation since the war began with a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, bringing four hostages out of Gaza on Saturday. Over 200 Palestinians, including children, were killed in the process, according to health officials.
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