30,000 pro-Palestinian protesters gather at White House, demand end to Gaza conflict

A massive crowd of around 30,000 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the White House on June 8 to protest the Biden administration’s support for Israel, according to the Hindustan Times.

The rally, organized by the Answer Coalition, took place around eight months after Israel’s conflict in Gaza began. Demonstrators came about noon, and they unfurled a “two-mile long” crimson banner to represent the “red line” they claim President Biden breached when Israel stormed Rafah. The Answer Coalition’s website stated, “Biden can’t draw the line, but we can. On June 8, we will gather from throughout the country to surround the White House. Wearing red and making high demands, we shall demonstrate to the world that we are the red line.”

The protesters demanded an immediate ceasefire, an end to the Gaza siege, the release of all Palestinian prisoners, and the end of the occupation of Palestine.

A video on X showed several protesters setting off and hurling smoke bomb flares onto the White House lawn. Furthermore, the Andrew Jackson statue outside the White House was damaged with “Free Gaza” and “Boycott Israel Products” messages.

In response to the protests, additional fencing was erected around the White House, a measure that has been in place since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel last year.

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