Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside the White House, accusing President Joe Biden of not enforcing a “red line” to keep Israel from harming civilians in Gaza, a harbinger of continued anger on the left with U.S. policy toward Israel in a general election year.
Protesters unveiled a massive red banner on Saturday and wore red to symbolize the red line they say Israel is breaching as it continues its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Protesters also defaced monuments in the area with pro-Palestinian graffiti.
The day of the protest, Israel conducted a special operation that freed four hostages still held by Hamas in which dozens of Palestinians were killed.
“Biden, Biden you can’t hide, we are your red line,” the protesters chanted, according to NBC.
Biden last month suspended the delivery of some large bombs to Israel as it prepared to enter the city of Rafah, an operation Biden had opposed, and said he would consider further suspensions in defense assistance as the operation proceeded.
The president had said previously he would suspend weapons deliveries if Israel crossed a “red line,” but what that would constitute has never been clear. His officials have since then said that Israel’s conduct did not breach standards to the degree that would require further U.S. action.
The protest Saturday, which drew people from around the country, was a sign that pro-Palestinian activism could continue unabated as the country heads into elections.
The Biden campaign has struggled to walk a line between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian Democrats as the elections gear up, with both sides saying that he stands to lose votes in a close rematch with former President Donald Trump if constituents are disaffected. Biden sought a middle ground as protests engulfed university campuses in recent months.
The Democratic National Committee is negotiating with federal and Chicago authorities and with protest groups to set parameters for pro-Palestinian rallies when the party’s convention takes place in the city in August.
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