Over 60 pro-Palestine demonstrators were arrested after staging a peaceful protest inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC.
Dozens of protesters entered the historic US Capitol Building on Tuesday afternoon, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War.
Scores of activists demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza have frequently clashed with cops on Capitol Hill since the October attack and have even chained themselves to the White House fence.
‘Stop funding violence against our communities,’ read one massive sign the demonstrators held up in the Capitol Rotunda.
‘Divest from militarism – invest in life,’ read other signs demonstrators waved overhead. ‘Protect immigrants and asylees’ and ‘ceasefire’ read others.
Demonstrators scattered children’s shoes across the floor to symbolize the innocent Palestinian women and children killed in the war after entering the building.
It was learnt that the demonstration came as the House has gone home for the holidays and the Senate remains in session – with low attendance rates – while leaders from each side try to reach a deal on a package that includes funding for Ukraine and Israel in exchange for new border security provisions.
Biden is facing renewed pressure from the progressive left to call for a ceasefire as Palestinian casualties pile up in the war in Gaza.
After stalwart support of Israel’s offensive for many weeks, the White House has only recently begun to show daylight between itself and the military campaign.
The White House on Monday said it had spoken to the Israeli government about the killing of two women sheltering at a Catholic church in the Gaza strip, saying there needs to be better deconfliction to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.
