Saturday commemorated eight months of the US-Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza, as well as the 54th anniversary of the occupation of Palestine. Despite President Biden's previous declaration that the invasion of Rafah was a 'red line,' the conflict has intensified, spreading across the entire Gaza Strip. Instead of halting military aid to Israel, Biden has approved billions more in weapons shipments, escalating the violence against Palestinians.
Washington D.C.
CODEPINK East Coast organizer Krys Cerisier addressed the rally, saying, "We stand side by side with struggles across the globe to tell everybody in the White House that we can see them. We can see them for what they are, and that is war criminals, war criminals who deserve to be held accountable for the countless genocides, the countless wars, and the countless crimes they have committed against black and brown people across the globe."
Cerisier continued, "We say no to war. We say no to bombs. We say no to mines, to planes, to tanks! We say no! We say yes to education! We say yes to food - to care for the community! But we say no to being led by people who only care about funding war."
Over 70,000 participants demanded an immediate ceasefire, an end to the siege on Gaza, the release of all Palestinian prisoners, and an end to the occupation of Palestine.
San Francisco
On the West Coast, San Francisco held its "We are your Red Line" action on Friday, June 7. Constituents, fueled by grief and anger over the ongoing conflict, protested against Biden, Senator Alex Padilla, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's continued support for Israel. The peace activists began their march at Padilla's office and proceeded to the Israeli Consulate.
Cynthia Papermaster, a CODEPINK organizer in San Francisco, explained the motivation behind the protest: "Since Biden, Padilla, and Pelosi won't draw a 'red line' for Israel's war crimes, we are going to gather and embody their red line. The Israeli attacks in Rafah are OUR red line. We say 'Enough'! We are angry, and we are grieving, and we will raise our voices to insist that we stop arming and defending Israel, especially now that they are mercilessly attacking civilians in Rafah."
Madison
In the midwest, around 60 demonstrators held a silent vigil in Madison at the Capitol rotunda, coinciding with the busy Dane County Farmers' Market. They gathered around a banner reading "Silent Vigil 4 Rafah, Biden This is Our Red Line," adding their voices to the nationwide outcry for justice and peace in Gaza.
[Protesters gather at the Wisconsin State Capitol on Saturday, June 8, 2024 for Code Pink’s "We Are The Red Line" silent vigil in support of Palestinians. Ilana Bar-av]
These coordinated actions reflect a growing demand for accountability and a reevaluation of U.S. foreign policy regarding Israel and Palestine. Activists across the country continue to call for an end to genocide in Gaza and to the occupation of Palestine.
For upcoming actions near you, please visit https://www.codepink.org/events.
