State of the Union is genocide’: Gaza protesters challenge Biden speech

State of the Union is genocide’: Gaza protesters challenge Biden speech Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden may have been preparing to address Congress, but protesters gathered outside of u US Capitol had their own message: “Stop funding Israel” and “Complete ceasefire now”. About 150 protesters gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue – the arterial road that connects the White House to the seat of the US legislature in Washington, DC – ahead of the annual address on Thursday“ Organisers said they wanted to block Biden’s way, or at least make him find another route, as he travelled to the 9pm local (00:00 GMT Friday) speech. Five months into the war in Gaza, they said more pressure than ever was needed, with more than 30,000 Palestinians dead and nearly two million facing humanitarian catastrophe. “As President Biden prepares to give the State of the Union address, we’re here to say, no more genocide with our tax dollars,” Cat Knarr, of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, told Al Jazeera. Protesters near the Capitol laid out a swimming-pool-sized Palestinian flag across the avenue’s asphalt. They held signs that said “Biden’s legacy is genocide” and “End the occupation”. Protester with sign that says ceasefire Demonstrators demanding a ceasefire gather near the US Capitol, on March 7 [Joseph Stepansky/Al Jazeera] “When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” they chanted, with some holding electric candles. “From DC to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” they said. With the eyes of the nation preparing to watch Biden, protester Joanna, a 39-year-old accountant by day, said it was more important than ever to take the streets. “I feel like they’re killing with my hands with my tax dollars,” she said. “I just cannot be silent while genocide is happening. It’s wrong because it is wrong, so I have to use my voice every day.” Sign up for Al Jazeera Americas Coverage Newsletter US politics, Canada’s multiculturalism, South America’s geopolitical rise—we bring you the stories that matter. E-mail address Subscribe By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy protected by reCAPTCHA Organiser Knarr also the people of Gaza are on her mind every day: “As a Palestinian person, a granddaughter of a man who survived the Nakba, these are my people, and I have no choice but to wake up every single day and think about what they are living through.” The Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the expulsion of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their historic lands and villages in 1948 during the creation of Israel. About 500 Palestinian villages were destroyed during the Nakba. US officials said Biden is set to announce a plan to construct a temporary port to deliver more aid to Gaza. That comes shortly after the administration began airdropping aid to the enclave, and Vice President Kamala Harris called for a short-term “ceasefire” as part of a captive release deal, in a rhetorical, but largely empty, shift. Still, after months of unequivocal support for Israel’s war – and the cont #state #jeobidan #biden #protest #usa #us #latest #2024