Today April 6 – Thousands of people from across the United States took part in protests on Saturday against Israel’s brutal attack on Gaza and the Trump administration’s increasing crackdown on pro-Palestinian students and activists.
The demonstration, which was supported by more than 300 organizations, gathered at the intersection of 3rd Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. They later marched to other key locations, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters, demanding the release of Palestinian students and academics detained in Gaza, particularly Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and Turkish student Rumeisa Ozturk.
The protest was co-sponsored by various rights organizations, such as the Palestinian Youth Movement, The People’s Forum, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the ANSWER Coalition.
The protesters carried placards and posters featuring images of Palestinian children killed in Gaza and students detained or expelled for their activism, protesting against the erosion of civil rights under the Trump administration.
“We are facing such a terrible situation that students in the United States who just say genocide is bad are being detained, they are being expelled. This is a terrible thing for those who are just speaking out for humanity,” Code Pink member and former US diplomat Anne Wright told Anadolu.
One such student, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University who organized campus protests about Palestine, has been detained for his Palestinian support and has become a symbol of the protest movement.
“We have brought thousands of people here from all over the United States to protest against the administration’s attempts to silence us and detain students,” Suzan Ali, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, told Anadolu Agency. “Our movement is growing stronger with each arrest and threat.”
For many demonstrators, this protest was a deeply personal feeling.
“This is the worst time ever,” said Johnny Nassef, a protester who has been concerned about Palestine for 40 years. “The situation in the United States is really difficult right now, I just want to do something.”
Another protester, Danny Moore, said, “I’m here to support stopping the genocide, stopping the repression, stopping the dictatorship and the monopolies. I don’t want to see anyone else die.”
