Thousands of pro-Palestinian marchers descend upon WH chanting ‘Allahu akbar,’ ‘F–k Joe Biden’ as they demand ceasefire
The White House was flooded with tens of thousands pro-Palestinian demonstrators Saturday afternoon. They chanted “Allahu Akbar” and “F*k Joe Biden”, accusing the president of genocide, and demanding a ceasefire for the Gaza Strip.
The crowd, adorned with Palestinian flags, signs, and banners, chanted “Palestine will be free from the river to sea” at the beginning of the event. Attendees came from all over the country.
This chant, which has become increasingly popular since Hamas’ deadly incursion in southern Israel last month, and Israel’s retaliatory attack on Gaza that followed, is widely considered to be antisemitic as it implies the elimination of Israel and the people of Israel.
Other chanted “Long Live the Intifada,” which is an Arabic term used to refer specifically to Palestinian uprisings that ran between 1987 and 1993, and 2000-2005, and that resulted in thousands of deaths.
DC Police told The Post that it could not confirm the reports that more than 100,000 people attended.
DC police reported that a man was arrested around 5:30 pm for destroying property. Uncertain what he destroyed.
Many protesters stopped outside the White House as they marched down the streets of Washington DC to shout for Biden, to call for a truce. Biden was in his Rehoboth Beach vacation home, Del.
A Post reporter noted that around 6:30 pm, protesters were painting red paint onto the White House gates and chanting “Allahu Akbar” or “F-k Joe Bideen.”
Video from X showed that one demonstrator scaled the fence surrounding the Executive Mansion in order to wave a Palestinian Flag.
According to an X user, DC Police has been hovering over the White House in a helicopter.
Since around 1 p.m., tens and thousands of protesters, including rapper Macklemore, could be heard for miles. Their roaring chants had filled the streets.
According to the X poster, earlier in the day, a supporter of Israel — who was seen on the street with his country’s flag draped around his shoulders — had been politely escorted by police.
The Post reporter described the protest as unlike any other that he has ever seen.
He said that “this one was distinguished by defacing the gate and pushing it on, chants ‘Allahu Akbar’, and thousands of Muslims and leftists chanting about Biden.” It was amazing that the event ended peacefully. It could have been a bad situation with so many families present.
He added: “When the gates swayed tonight, one protester told me that it would be a disaster if they opened.” In the moment, it was not difficult to imagine hundreds of people going through the gate.
While the majority of the protests were peaceful, some vandals took advantage of the situation to paint the Executive Mansion’s gate with red, covering the white bricks with hand prints that looked like blood.
The protesters also broke the windows of nearby McDonald’s which had been covered in pro-Palestinian stickers.
The Post reported that while the protest was taking shape in the nation’s capital, over 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrations blocked traffic in Manhattan’s Herald Square and demanded a ceasefire. The crowd then moved eastward to the United Nations where it grew to 2,000 people, according to police sources.
The sources reported that there were no arrests or incidents before the crowd dispersed around 7:30 pm without incident.
There have been other protests in different parts of the world, such as London, where the Metropolitan Police arrested at least 11 individuals for holding signs that threatened to burn down House of Parliament.
Speakers from several organizations spoke in Washington to encourage “righteous fury” among the crowd in response to the death of around 9,000 Palestinians since Israeli airstrikes started following the horrendous Oct. 7 attacks in Southern Israel.
Many speakers referred to the US as Israel’s main ally in the ongoing battle against Hamas, including the $14.3 billion aid package that was passed by the House last week.
“Biden, Biden you can’t hide! One MC shouted into the mic, “We charge you with genocide!” The cheers of the audience echoed his words.
The protest was joined by several demonstrators who said they worked for the Biden Administration and Congress members. They held signs that read: “Congress, your staff demands a cessation of fire” and “Biden, your staff demands a cessation of fire.”
Biden is “dehumanizing” Palestinians, according to a spokesperson from the Chicago Chapter of US Palestine Community Network.
She yelled at the microphone, “No more business as usual because our elected officials are supporting genocide.”
“Israel has no right to exist in a racist state.”
After the war, the speaker said that Palestinians would build a “secular society” “from the river up to the sea”.
“It’s right to rebel!” Israel can go straight to hell! Marte White, an activist from Community Movement Builders (a black activist group in the United States), yelled at his microphone.
White claimed that Palestinians had the right to fight by “any means necessary…and i do mean any means possible!” White was presumably referring Hamas’ killing and maiming of 1,400 Israelis in a matter of hours on October 7.
White concluded that “everyone should stand with the Palestinians and support their struggle against Zionism.”
After White’s fiery rhetoric, MCs asked for a moment of silent reflection in honor of the “martyrs”, who were killed in Gaza during the past four weeks.
A white tarp, in a silent appeal for peace, was then unfurled above a part of the crowd.
Omar Suleiman, who spoke after the moment of silence, referred to Israel’s government as “apartheid”, and touched on the violence against Palestinian youths in Gaza, West Bank, as well as beyond, including the six year old Chicago boy stabbed by the landlord.
“Knowing that when people say they “stand with Israel,” they are actually saying they stand with genocide,” he said.
The Palestinian Youth Movement’s speaker said: “This was one of the most difficult months in my life – I am the post-Oslo generation.” She was referring to the 1993 pact, brokered by Clinton Administration.
This has been the most difficult month in our history for our people.
She insisted, “We are deeply convinced that Palestine will be liberated in our lifetime.” “This is the result of 75 years’ justice delayed! We demand an end to all [US] assistance to the Zionist State of Israel!
The crowd grew to the point where one section of the group had to be asked to move to make room for another wave from the other side.
While the maneuvering was taking place, the Palestinian national anthem played on loudspeakers.
Ahlam from Maryland2Palestine insisted, despite the antisemitic tone of the speakers.
No Comments