Mass protest in DC demands end to US support of 'Israel'
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Protesters are taking to the streets in the United States to protest against the government's support for the Israeli occupation and enabling of genocide.
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Protesters demonstrate in support of Palestinians at Dupont Circle in Washington, Saturday, March 30, 2024 (AP)
A large protest is taking place today in the heart of Washington as activists and supporters of Palestinian rights gather to denounce the US government's support for the ongoing ethnic cleansing in occupied Palestine.
The demonstrators are also protesting against the Trump administration’s policies of targeting, arresting, and deporting graduate students of various nationalities over their pro-Palestine activism.
Protesters took to the streets in a historic march on Washington, D.C. for Palestine. pic.twitter.com/iWsHAus7EC
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 5, 2025
The organizers issued a statement ahead of the protest discussing the time, location, and intentions behind the protests.
Momentum for the "National March for Palestine" has been growing, with over 200 organizations from across US cities endorsing the protest. These include labor unions, women's organizations, anti-war groups, Arab-American and Muslim associations, artists, cultural workers, and many others.
NATIONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON: Stop the Genocide! Ceasefire now!
— Palestinian Youth Movement (@palyouthmvmt) April 5, 2025
The masses have made it clear they will continue to stand with Palestine and will not cower in the face of repression. pic.twitter.com/7LPW7dPFfG
Organizers announced that demonstrators would march to the headquarters of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, the body responsible for the mass deportation campaigns under the Trump administration and the arrests of pro-Palestine activists. Among those detained are Mahmoud Khalil, Bedrkhan Suri, and Rumeysa Ozturk, among others.
'Every day we witness more atrocities'
"We will continue demanding freedom for Mahmoud Khalil, Bedrkhan Suri, and Rumeysa Ozturk, and an end to the brutal repression and targeting of students who are guilty of nothing but exercising their constitutional right to free speech," Mona Al-Tarh, an organizer from The Palestinian Feminist Collective, said.
"This march will send a powerful message that people across all sectors of this country reject Trump’s crackdown on the right to protest, and we refuse to see our tax dollars fund the daily massacres committed by the occupation in Gaza," Al-Tarh added.
Thousands of children’s shoes are lined up in the streets of Washington DC, representing the tens of thousands of children killed in Gaza by the occupation. pic.twitter.com/cOzBYD4z0v
— WearThePeace (@WearThePeaceCo) April 5, 2025
"Every day we witness more atrocities committed by Netanyahu and Trump. Dozens are killed daily by Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, including aid workers, journalists, and children," Taher Dahleh of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) said.
"For the people of Gaza and for the right to protest, it is essential that we take to the streets on April 5 to show we will not be intimidated or silenced," he added.
'End to the criminalization of dissent'
"We will march side by side with our fellow Americans toward ICE headquarters to demand the release of our detained sons and daughters and an end to the criminalization of dissent and support for the legitimate Palestinian struggle," Munadel Hazallah, a founding member of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), stated.
NOW: Thousands of protestors are marching in Washington D.C. to ICE Headquarters and the White House to say:
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) April 5, 2025
HANDS OFF OUR STUDENTS!
STOP FUNDING GENOCIDE! pic.twitter.com/0D7zEgAL3p
"Since its establishment in 2003, ICE has targeted Arab and Muslim communities, torn families apart, and sown fear among us. We will not stay silent — we will defend all those unjustly targeted," Hazallah said.
In a related act of protest, Microsoft programmer Ibtihal Abu Saad publicly denounced her company's support for the Israeli occupation's actions in Gaza. In a message to her colleagues, she warned against complicity in the occupation’s crimes.
As Suleyman was presenting new features for Microsoft’s Copilot software, a young woman approached him on stage and shouted, “You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. 50,000 people have died, and Microsoft, all of Microsoft, has blood on its hands. How do you all celebrate when Microsoft is killing children? Shame on you.” She also waved a koufiyyeh in a show of support for Palestine.
“Stop using AI for genocide, Mustafa,” she said before leaving. “Stop using AI for genocide in our world.”
The woman was escorted out by Microsoft staff, but her shouts could still be heard throughout the presentation area. Suleyman remained calm, responding, “I hear your protest.”
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was interrupted during a presentation by a protestor slamming Microsoft for AI tools used by military forces involved in the war in Gaza. https://t.co/Um7pP1rbDm pic.twitter.com/u6pfYMArxz
— Variety (@Variety) April 4, 2025
