According to The New York Times, tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of American cities on Saturday (local time) to denounce Israel’s Gaza military operation in response to the Hamas attack last month. Protests calling for a cease-fire and lifting of the siege in Gaza took place in New York, Nashville, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, and even Orono, Maine.
The demonstrations came a week after vast protests in Asian and European capitals and a day after the Israeli government appeared to reject the United States’ call for “humanitarian pauses” in the bombardment.
The protests were filled with messages like “Mourn the dead; fight like hell for the living” and “Let Gaza live!” They also sought a shutdown of American aid to Israel, blending policy demands with anguish and ambition.
Some of the chants, most especially “From the river to the sea!” have been condemned as an antisemitic call for Israel’s destruction, though many protesters have defended the slogan as a cry for freedom, as per The New York Times.
Public opinion surveys revealed support for Israel in its military campaign against Hamas, which the US government considers a terrorist organization, but also raised concerns for Palestinian civilians, which led to the protests in the capital and other locations. Over 9,000 Gazans have died as a result of Israel’s bombing campaign, while about 1,400 Israelis lost their lives in the Hamas attack.