Protesters from across Southwestern Ohio are heading to Washington, D.C. to demonstrate outside the White House in support of Rafah.
According to an Instagram post from organizers, the Ohio demonstrators will join thousands of other protesters from across the country in D.C. on June 8 who are voicing their opposition to President Joe Biden’s continued support for Israel despite the country’s assault on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
The trip, which pushes off from West Chester on Friday evening, is being promoted by several local organizations, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation of Southwest Ohio (PSL), Students for Justice in Palestine UC (SJP-UC) and Ohio for Palestine.
“Biden’s complicity in the genocide of Palestinians must end,” PSL of Southwest Ohio said in an Instagram post on June 4. “The invasion of Rafah was supposed to be Biden’s ‘red line’ but the slaughter in Gaza has reached now its 8th month.”
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The protest, organized by the Shut it Down for Palestine coalition, aims to hold Biden accountable for his statement that invading Rafah was a “red line.” The Associated Press reported that Biden established this “red line” regarding Rafah last month, stating that he would not provide weapons if Israel launched an all-out attack on Rafah.
According to Shut it Down for Palestine, protesters will surround the White House wearing red to form a 2-mile-long “People’s Red Line” on June 8, eight months since the beginning of the Israel-Gaza War, and on “the 54th anniversary of the occupation of Gaza.”
Israel’s recent operations in Rafah have sparked international outrage as the border city was previously declared a “safe zone.” Israel took control of Gaza’s Rafah border on May 7, according to the AP. Despite international concern, Israel has pushed into central Rafah, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on May 31. Now, the humanitarian crisis in Rafah and throughout Gaza is worsening, with thousands of refugees displaced and deprived of food, water and fuel, CNN reported.
According to the IDF, Israel is pursuing Hamas militants in Rafah. In a May 31 statement, the IDF said they “located Hamas rocket launchers, terror tunnel shafts, and weapons” in Rafah, CNN reported.
Since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas militants left upwards of 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 Israeli citizens held hostage, Israel’s counteroffensive measures have killed more than 36,000 people in Gaza, CNN reported. The status of the 250 Israeli hostages in Gaza is unclear.
Despite mediation from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have yet to reach a ceasefire deal, according to CBS News. The June 8 protest in D.C. demands an immediate ceasefire.
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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2024.