10 Jun. 24: Thousands of protesters gathered near the White House on Saturday for a “red line” rally, voicing their anger at what they perceive as President Joe Biden’s tolerance of Israel’s aggressive actions in Gaza. The demonstrators chanted “From DC to Palestine, we are the red line” and displayed a long banner with the names of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as the conflict enters its ninth month.
President Biden has faced growing criticism for his balancing act concerning key ally Israel’s actions. In May, the White House stated that a deadly Israeli strike on Rafah did not cross the “red line” that Biden had set two months earlier, leading to widespread discontent among the protesters.
“I no longer believe any of the words that Joe Biden says,” said 25-year-old Zaid Mahdawi from Virginia, whose parents are Palestinian. “This ‘red line’ in his rhetoric is rubbish… it shows his hypocrisy and his cowardice,” Mahdawi told AFP.
The rally saw nursing assistant Tala McKinney, also 25, expressing her frustration. “I think we all hope it’s going to stop soon, but clearly our president is not living up to the words he is speaking to our country. It’s outrageous,” she said.
Protesters, almost all dressed in red, carried Palestinian flags and signs declaring “Biden’s red line was a lie” and “Bombing children is not self-defense.” The White House had stepped up security, installing an additional anti-scale perimeter fence ahead of the demonstration. Charter buses brought in participants from as far as Maine and Florida.
As Biden faces a crucial election battle with Republican candidate Donald Trump in five months, he is under pressure to retain support from Muslim and young voters, who are seen as vital to his reelection bid. “It’s very disappointing to have a president who doesn’t follow through with their word… I will be voting for a third party,” McKinney added.
The rally underscores the growing dissatisfaction among certain voter blocs with the current administration’s handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
