Pro-Palestinian protesters gather around the White House

2024-06-08 22:49:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather around the White House

Protesters gathered at the White House (Washington, June 8, 2024)

Pro-Palestinian activists demanded over the weekend an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and to US support for Israel. They surrounded the White House on Saturday, in protests for which security measures were increased, which included, among other things, the establishment of a wider security perimeter around the White House.

Activist groups such as CODEPINK and the Council on American Islamic Relations said Friday that the protests were planned for Saturday to mark eight months since the start of the Gaza war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and sparked a humanitarian crisis with famine and widespread destruction.

For Israel, an important ally of the United States, there have been months of pro-Palestinian protests, from marches on Washington, rallies near the White House and to blocking bridges and roads near train stations and airports in several cities, as well as erecting tents on several university campuses.

At least eight officials in President Biden's administration have resigned, citing opposition to his policies.

Protesters have also interfered with some of the electoral activities of President Biden, who is currently in France on an official visit.

"In preparation for this weekend's events in Washington, which have the potential to create large crowds, additional public safety measures have been taken around the White House complex," announced a spokesman for the US Secret Service.

President Biden and White House officials have previously said they support peaceful protests, but not "chaos" and violence.

In some cases, there has been violence in the protests at the universities, when the police intervened to arrest the protesters who had set up tents on the campuses.

Anti-war activists at the University of California, Los Angeles, were violently attacked by a mob a week ago. There have also been concerns about an increase in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia as the conflict continues.

The war began when the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

The ensuing Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 36,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, and displaced the entire population of 2.3 million. This has also brought accusations of genocide, which Israel denies. Renewed efforts for a ceasefire appeared to have made no progress as of Friday./ VOA