US protesters vent feelings over painful present and past

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of protesters rallied within sight of the US Capitol, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans and voicing criticism of the Israeli and US governments as they marked a painful present, the conflict in Gaza, and past, the exodus of about 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from what is now Israel when the state was created in 1948.

About 400 demonstrators braved steady rain to rally on the National Mall on the 76th anniversary of what is called the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe.

There were calls in support of Palestinian rights and an immediate end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. "No peace on stolen land" and "End the killings, stop the crime/Israel out of Palestine," echoed through the crowd.

Protesters also focused their anger on President Joe Biden, whom they accuse of feigning concern over the death toll in Gaza.

"Biden, Biden, you will see/genocide's your legacy," they said. The Democratic president was in Atlanta on Saturday.

Reem Lababdi, a George Washington University second-year student who said she was pepper-sprayed by police this month when they broke up an on-campus protest encampment, said the rain seemed to reduce the numbers.

This year's commemoration was fueled by anger over the siege of Gaza. The latest conflict began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 people hostage.

One speaker at the Washington rally, Osama Abuirshad, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, gestured at the Capitol building dome behind him.

"This Congress does not speak for us. This Congress does not represent the will of the people. We're paying for the bombs. We're paying for the F-16s and F-35s. And then we do the poor Palestinians a favor and send some food."

Speakers also expressed anger over the violent crackdown on many pro-Palestinian protest camps at universities across the country. In recent weeks, long-term encampments have been broken up by police at more than 60 schools, and about 3,000 protesters have been arrested.

"The students are the conscience of America," said Abuirshad, who compared the university demonstrations to protest movements against the Vietnam War and apartheid-era South Africa.

Several top White House aides say they are confident that protests across campuses will not translate into significantly fewer votes for Joe Biden in the presidential election in November, even though polls show many Democrats are deeply unhappy about Biden's policy on the conflict.

Agencies Via Xinhua