Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. on Saturday night to rally against Israel continuing its war in Gaza. The protesters draped a large Palestinian flag down the side of the hotel as they gathered to protest during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner. In the wake of the conflict that began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 34,000, with over 76,000 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The pro-Palestinian rally outside the WHCA dinner was part of a global wave of protests against the high Palestinian death toll and the distressing images of children dead in bombed buildings.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in mounting calls for a ceasefire and increased pressure on President Joe Biden to take a tougher stance on Israel, a longtime U.S. ally. The protesters aimed to blockade the entrance to the WHCA dinner to draw attention to Biden’s administration’s continued support of Israel despite calls for a ceasefire. Videos shared on social media showed protesters shouting at Biden’s motorcade and event attendees, and some even lay in the street in an attempt to block guests. The protesters’ actions, including the unfurling of a massive Palestinian flag from the hotel’s top floor, were part of a broader movement that has seen protests breaking out at college campuses across the country and resulted in mass arrests.
The protesters also set up a memorial outside of the venue to honor the journalists killed in Gaza. More than two dozen journalists in Gaza had previously written a letter published on Medium urging members of the press corps to boycott the WHCA dinner in solidarity with their fellow journalists and the millions of Palestinians suffering in Gaza. The letter called for immediate and unwavering action against the Biden administration’s complicity in the “systematic slaughter and persecution” of journalists in Gaza. The protesters’ actions aimed to draw attention to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and to put pressure on the Biden administration to change its stance on Israel.
The pro-Palestinian rally outside the WHCA dinner comes amid a global wave of protests against the conflict in Gaza and the high number of Palestinian casualties. The harrowing images of children dead in bombed buildings have sparked widespread criticism and calls for a ceasefire. The protest outside the Washington Hilton Hotel aimed to draw attention to the ongoing war in the Middle East and to call on President Joe Biden to change his administration’s support for Israel. The protesters’ actions, including the unfurling of a Palestinian flag from the hotel’s top floor, were part of a broader movement that has seen protests breaking out at college campuses across the country.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for nearly seven months, resulting in a significant number of Palestinian casualties, including children and women. The escalating death toll has led to protests around the world and increased pressure on the Biden administration to take action. The protesters outside the WHCA dinner sought to draw attention to the high number of Palestinian casualties and to call for a ceasefire in the conflict. The rally was part of a broader movement that has seen protests breaking out in various locations, including college campuses, as activists seek to put pressure on governments to change their policies in the region.
