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SvennoJ on 23 July 2024
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Jewish pro-Gaza protesters arrested at US congressional office building

Hundreds of US progressive Jewish activists have taken over the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building in Washington’s Capitol Hill, demanding an end to weapons transfers to Israel.

The protesters congregated at the site and simultaneously took off their tops to reveal red T-shirts that say “Stop arming Israel.” They chanted, “not in our name” and “let Gaza live”.

US Capitol police have started to arrest protesters as they declared the area “closed.”


Jewish pro-Gaza protesters crowd the Cannon House Office rotunda in Washington, DC on July 23

Police officers have been steadily arresting Jewish activists who gathered for a protest calling for an arms embargo on Israel and have now cleared the rotunda.

Officers moved in on the circle-shaped demonstration quickly, yanked and discarded banners decrying the “genocide” in Gaza.

Then they made their way detaining people from the outer circles making the group smaller.

Many zip-tied demonstrators continued to chant “stop arming Israel” as they were being led away.


Police arrest pro-Palestine protesters at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, on July 23

Seven major US labour unions call on Biden to halt aid to Israel

The seven unions represent millions of workers in the US. They are the American Postal Workers Union, the National Education Association, the Association of Flight Attendants, Service Employees International Union, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, United Auto Workers and United Electrical Workers.

In a letter addressed to Biden, the unions called on the administration to “halt all military aid to Israel” to move towards an immediate ceasefire.

The letter notes there has been no breakthroughs in a truce deal proposed by Biden at the end of May. It added Israel’s “refusal to minimise civilian harm and its demonstrated restriction of US humanitarian aid” warrants a halt to military support under US law.

“Mr president, the time to act decisively to end this war is now,” it said.