Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the White House on Saturday to protest Joe Biden’s response to Israel’s continued military attacks on Gaza.
Footage posted on social media showed police using pepper spray on demonstrators, while demonstrators were arrested during the mass demonstration.
At least one protester also held a canister emitting green and white smoke near the south side of the White House.
The protester, dressed as the superhero character Spiderman, shouted along with the crowd: “Biden, Biden, we can’t wait! We’ll see you in The Hague!”
The Hague is the Dutch city where the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes war crimes, is located.
The protest comes after criticism of the president over his handling of Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
VIDEO WIRE: Police attempted to make an arrest outside the White House this afternoon, in the middle of the pro-Palestinian rally now underway.
A crowd surrounded them as they chanted, “Let her go!” and struggled with officers, who used mace against demonstrators and press. pic.twitter.com/klBpDEZSF9
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) June 8, 2024
Saturday’s demonstration included a coalition of groups, including Code Pink and the Council on American Islamic Relation, Reuters reported.
Biden has argued that Israel’s latest attacks on Rafah do not violate the US red line – or limit – on support for its ally.
The Biden administration has continued to supply US weapons to Israel even as the Israeli military launched an airstrike on a tent city in Rafah two weeks earlier, killing at least 45 people.
Saturday’s protest also comes days after Biden told Time Magazine that there is “every reason” to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political gain – allegations that the Israeli government has criticized.
On Saturday, protesters held a red flag around the perimeter of the White House to symbolize the US’s red line on Israel.
They also held up Palestinian flags and protest signs denouncing what they described as a genocide in Gaza.
“Biden, you have blood on your hands,” read one protest sign.
Another sign simply read: “Free Palestine.”
Protesters also shouted slogans condemning the president’s response, including “Biden, Biden, you’re a sellout. Pack your bags and leave!”
Protesters will reportedly surround the White House all day.
Saturday marks eight months since Israel’s war on Gaza began, after the October 7 attack killed 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostage.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military attacks since the war began.
Gaza has also entered a humanitarian crisis, amid widespread hunger and disease in the area.
