Associated Press
Updated Tue, November 14, 2023
1 / 13
APTOPIX US Israel Palestinians California
Demonstrators stage a sit-in demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, in Oakland, Calif.
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of protesters led by Jewish peace activists calling for a cease-fire in Gaza staged a sit-in inside of the federal building in Oakland, California, leading to multiple arrests.
People wore T-shirts reading "Jews Say Cease-fire Now” and carried banners that read “Not in Our Name” and “Let Gaza Live” in the rotunda of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal building on Monday evening.
Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the protest organizers, posted online that dozens of people had been taken into custody by 9 p.m.
Protesters were escorted outside of the building by U.S. Department of Homeland Security police. Messages were sent early Tuesday to the department and to Oakland police asking how many people were arrested and on what charges.
“There is no other choice,” Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb of Berkeley told KNTV-TV when explaining why she was at the sit-in. “How many people do we have to kill before we arrive at a cease-fire?”
The protest was part of a growing number across the country following fighting triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel, whose response has led to thousands of deaths — and much destruction — across Gaza.
On Monday, hundreds of Jewish peace activists and their allies converged at a major train station in downtown Chicago during rush hour blocking the entrance to the Israeli consulate and demanding U.S. support for an Israel cease-fire.
Jewish Voice for Peace led a similar sit-in in New York City’s Grand Central Station on Oct. 27, where a sea of protesters filled the main concourse during evening rush hour, chanting slogans and unfurling banners demanding a cease-fire as Israel intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. At least 200 demonstrators were detained by New York police officers.
Several hundred protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza occupied the rotunda of the federal building in downtown Oakland. There were similar demonstrations in New York and Chicago today that were also organized by Jewish groups that have called for a halt to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Jewish group in California holds protest calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
Landon Mion
Tue, November 14, 2023
Demonstrators led by the group Jewish Voice for Peace gathered at the rotunda inside the Oakland Federal Building in California on Monday to protest the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
Jewish Voice for Peace, which describes itself as the "largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world," posted on X Monday evening that "more than 700 Bay Area Jews and allies" were participating in the protest, which was part of a national week of Jewish-led protests calling for a cease-fire.
"We are not leaving, we demand an end to this bloodshed, we will not see Jewish grief used to perpetuate genocide," the post read.
Law enforcement began making arrests at around 8 p.m. local time after demonstrators refused orders to vacate the area, according to KTVU.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT CALLS ON STUDENTS TO CONDEMN ANTISEMITIC PHRASES; SCHOOL GROUP CLAPS BACK
President Biden, whose administration has pushed back on calls for a cease-fire, is expected to arrive in the Bay Area on Tuesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Jewish Voice for Peace said it is calling on Biden and Vice President Harris to join Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., in calling for an immediate cease-fire.
READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP
"We demand an immediate ceasefire(sic) to protect innocent lives, deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, ensure hostage's(sic) safe return and stop the violence," Lee said in a statement.
More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, prompting a military response from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.
The protesters said this was the first mass Jewish sit-in on the West Coast, although similar demonstrations have been held at Grand Central Station in New York and the Israeli consulate in Chicago.
CELEBRITY PAIR TO SEND MESSAGE TO JEWISH STUDENTS AFTER TROUBLING INCIDENTS ON IVY LEAGUE CAMPUS
Federal employees were forced to evacuate the building when protesters overtook it on Monday, according to KTVU. In a live stream on the JVP Bay Area Facebook, the protesters could be seen carrying banners and signs while clapping and chanting.
Filmmaker Boots Riley, of Oakland, was among the protesters at the federal building and wrote on X that "the govt of Israel does not act on behalf of, nor represent Jewish people," adding that "a bunch of us are only leaving if it's in handcuffs."
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb urged U.S. officials to end aid to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the region, according to KTVU. Gottlieb said she has friends who have died in Gaza during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
"We're asking that Gazans and Palestinians in the West Bank live and to stop sending U.S. military aid to Israel," Gottlieb said. "We are here today because our religious tradition tells us to save one life is to save an entire world."
"We are not going away no matter what happens here today in this moment," she added. "We are joining with tens of thousands, if not, millions all over the world to ask our leaders to stop killing Palestinian people."
Gottlieb said the protesters claim there is a link between Jewish safety and Palestinian safety.
"We will get nowhere if we continue to fight wars against civilians," she said.
Last week, Israel agreed to a four-hour daily pause in Gaza to allow civilians to evacuate the region.
Original article source: Jewish group in California holds protest calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
Protesters occupy Oakland Federal Building, call for ceasefire in Gaza
Joey Horta
Mon, November 13, 2023 at 6:10 PM MST·4 min read
OAKLAND, Calif. - Several hundred people took over the rotunda inside the Oakland Federal Building on Monday and hundreds refused to leave. The protest, tied to the war in the Middle East, ended with demonstrators either arrested or detained.
Protesters held signs that read "Jews say Ceasefire Now'.
Shortly after 8 p.m., law enforcement began arresting demonstrators who refused to vacate.
The protest is part of a national week of Jewish-led protests calling for a ceasefire. In a news release, the group Jewish Voice for Peace, said as many as 600 demonstrators are on hand who took action at 4 p.m.
This also comes as President Biden is headed to the Bay Area for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The president is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.
The demonstrators say this is the first mass Jewish sit-in on the West Coast, mirroring similar actions at Grand Central Station in New York and the Israeli consulate in Chicago. It's described as the largest Jewish protest over the Middle East conflict on the West Coast.
Jewish Voice for Peace said they are calling on President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to follow the lead of Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee in her calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Lee, in a statement said, "We demand an immediate ceasefire to protect innocent lives, deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, ensure hostage's safe return and stop the violence."
When demonstrators overtook the building, federal employees were forced to evacuate. But the protesters came in peace. They were armed with banners, they made a lot of noise by clapping and chanting.
Among those protesting are allies including noted filmmaker, Boots Riley, of Oakland. On social media, he posted, "The govt of Israel does not act on behalf of, nor represent Jewish people." He followed up by saying, "A bunch of us are only leaving if it's in handcuffs."
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the first women to become a rabbi, according to the protest group, asked for U.S. government officials not to weaponize the people's grief by committing genocide.
"We're asking that Gazans and Palestinians in the West Bank live and to stop sending U.S. military aid to Israel," Gottlieb said. She noted that more than 15,000 people have died from this conflict in the last three weeks alone – more than have died in the Russia-Ukraine war, she said. "We are here today because our religious tradition tells us to save one life is to save an entire world."
Gottlieb said she has had friends who have died in Gaza during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
"We are not going away no matter what happens here today in this moment. We are joining with tens of thousands, if not, millions all over the world to ask our leaders to stop killing Palestinian people." She said the protesters believe Jewish safety and Palestinians' safety are linked. "We will get nowhere if we continue to fight wars against civilians."
Last week, Israel agreed to a four-hour daily pause in Gaza to allow civilians to flee.
Oakland Police Department officers are at the scene. Police said they are assisting the Federal Protective Service with the demonstration. Early in the protest law enforcement seemed to show restraint and did not make arrests. Streets in the area of the federal building, located at 1301 Clay Street, are closed and there is yellow police tape present.
Shortly before 8 p.m., Riley said Homeland Security began giving orders to disperse. One of his posts shows video of an officer shouting out an order, but he's drowned out by seated peaceful protesters singing, "Ceasefire now…"
We've since been told by organizers that law enforcement has made multiple arrests after about 450 people refused to leave. We are working to get confirmed numbers on arrests or possible detainment of demonstrators from law
Oakland Federal Building protest.
Hundreds Stage Anti-War Sit-In at Oakland Federal Building
Storyful
Tue, November 14, 2023
A number of protesters were arrested after hundreds of people occupied the Oakland Federal Building Conference Center on November 13, and called for a ceasefire in Gaza, local media reported.
Video posted to Facebook by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence shows protesters gathered inside the rotunda and chanting “Let Gaza live”.
The Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Bay Area said in a post to X “We are not leaving, we demand an end to this bloodshed, we will not see Jewish grief used to perpetuate genocide.” Credit: Center for Jewish Nonviolence via Storyful
Video Transcript
[CLAPPING]
- Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza--
Jewish protesters block Israeli Consulate office in Chicago demanding cease-fire in Gaza
Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune
Mon, November 13, 2023
Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS
CHICAGO — Some commuters arriving downtown Monday morning at Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center were met with protesters calling for an end to the Israeli government’s bombing of Gaza.
More than 1,000 Jewish peace activists gathered outside the Israeli Consulate located in the Ogilvie building to deliver an urgent call for a cease-fire in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians — including thousands of children — have been killed since Oct. 7.
The crisis in Gaza didn’t start Oct. 7, but it intensified that day when Israel was attacked by Hamas — which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization — kidnapping about 240 people and killing 1,200 others.
“We’re shutting down the consulate because business as usual can’t continue when Israel is committing a genocidal assault on Gaza in our name,” said Simone Pass Tucker, a member of the IfNotNow movement.
On Monday, alongside IfNotNow, organizers from Jewish Voice for Peace and Never Again Action made speeches, sang songs and prayed.
The mass action took over the escalators that go up to where the Israeli consulate offices are located and protesters spread out holding a large white sheet with “Jews say ceasefire now” written across it.
Most commuters kept walking by, while some stopped to watch the demonstration. A spokesperson for Metra said that trains continued to run normally, but commuters weren’t able to use the main doors at 500 W. Madison St. to leave the station.
Jodi Melamed, a Jewish Voice for Peace member from Milwaukee, said she hopes the message is clear that Joe Biden’s administration must stop its “insane complicity.”
“We’re here in anger and rage as Jews and as American citizens,” she said. “We really feel that fighting for Palestinian life is the same thing as fighting antisemitism. It’s the same thing as fighting Islamophobia. These are all part of the same fight. Our history makes us stand up for every life. It doesn’t condone genocide.”
Michael Wolfe, chapter organizer for Jewish Voice for Peace, said he too has been trying to dispel the argument that “pro-Palestine equals antisemitism.”
“It’s incredibly dangerous when the Israeli government does what it does, and says that they’re doing it in the name of the Jewish people. It just creates so much confusion that actually makes it harder for people like me to have a real conversation about what antisemitism really is,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe’s aunt and cousins live in Israel, and he noted how they’re able to move freely across the country, while Palestinians living in Gaza or the West Bank cannot.
“The textbook definition of apartheid is to have two different sets of rights for people. Palestinians don’t deserve this,” he said. “I’m continually humbled by the generosity that the Palestinians extend. ... I have a friend who lost more than 34 members of her family (in the attacks on Gaza), and she’s like, ‘Is your family OK?’ This is why we’re doing this.”
According to Jewish Voice for Peace, 100 people were arrested Monday for blocking the entrance to the Israeli Consulate. The Chicago Police Department was not immediately available to confirm those arrests.
“Today’s action was the largest demonstration of Midwest Jews in solidarity with Palestinians in history,” Wolfe said.
He said it’s important to keep the momentum going. “People are resigning from the State Department; congressional staff are telling us privately that it’s working,” he said. “I do have hope.”
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of protesters led by Jewish peace activists calling for a cease-fire in Gaza staged a sit-in inside of the federal building in Oakland, California, leading to multiple arrests.
People wore T-shirts reading "Jews Say Cease-fire Now” and carried banners that read “Not in Our Name” and “Let Gaza Live” in the rotunda of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal building on Monday evening.
Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the protest organizers, posted online that dozens of people had been taken into custody by 9 p.m.
Protesters were escorted outside of the building by U.S. Department of Homeland Security police. Messages were sent early Tuesday to the department and to Oakland police asking how many people were arrested and on what charges.
“There is no other choice,” Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb of Berkeley told KNTV-TV when explaining why she was at the sit-in. “How many people do we have to kill before we arrive at a cease-fire?”
The protest was part of a growing number across the country following fighting triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel, whose response has led to thousands of deaths — and much destruction — across Gaza.
On Monday, hundreds of Jewish peace activists and their allies converged at a major train station in downtown Chicago during rush hour blocking the entrance to the Israeli consulate and demanding U.S. support for an Israel cease-fire.
Jewish Voice for Peace led a similar sit-in in New York City’s Grand Central Station on Oct. 27, where a sea of protesters filled the main concourse during evening rush hour, chanting slogans and unfurling banners demanding a cease-fire as Israel intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. At least 200 demonstrators were detained by New York police officers.
Several hundred protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza occupied the rotunda of the federal building in downtown Oakland. There were similar demonstrations in New York and Chicago today that were also organized by Jewish groups that have called for a halt to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Jewish group in California holds protest calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
Landon Mion
Tue, November 14, 2023
Demonstrators led by the group Jewish Voice for Peace gathered at the rotunda inside the Oakland Federal Building in California on Monday to protest the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
Jewish Voice for Peace, which describes itself as the "largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world," posted on X Monday evening that "more than 700 Bay Area Jews and allies" were participating in the protest, which was part of a national week of Jewish-led protests calling for a cease-fire.
"We are not leaving, we demand an end to this bloodshed, we will not see Jewish grief used to perpetuate genocide," the post read.
Law enforcement began making arrests at around 8 p.m. local time after demonstrators refused orders to vacate the area, according to KTVU.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT CALLS ON STUDENTS TO CONDEMN ANTISEMITIC PHRASES; SCHOOL GROUP CLAPS BACK
President Biden, whose administration has pushed back on calls for a cease-fire, is expected to arrive in the Bay Area on Tuesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Jewish Voice for Peace said it is calling on Biden and Vice President Harris to join Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., in calling for an immediate cease-fire.
READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP
"We demand an immediate ceasefire(sic) to protect innocent lives, deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, ensure hostage's(sic) safe return and stop the violence," Lee said in a statement.
More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, prompting a military response from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.
The protesters said this was the first mass Jewish sit-in on the West Coast, although similar demonstrations have been held at Grand Central Station in New York and the Israeli consulate in Chicago.
CELEBRITY PAIR TO SEND MESSAGE TO JEWISH STUDENTS AFTER TROUBLING INCIDENTS ON IVY LEAGUE CAMPUS
Federal employees were forced to evacuate the building when protesters overtook it on Monday, according to KTVU. In a live stream on the JVP Bay Area Facebook, the protesters could be seen carrying banners and signs while clapping and chanting.
Filmmaker Boots Riley, of Oakland, was among the protesters at the federal building and wrote on X that "the govt of Israel does not act on behalf of, nor represent Jewish people," adding that "a bunch of us are only leaving if it's in handcuffs."
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb urged U.S. officials to end aid to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the region, according to KTVU. Gottlieb said she has friends who have died in Gaza during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
"We're asking that Gazans and Palestinians in the West Bank live and to stop sending U.S. military aid to Israel," Gottlieb said. "We are here today because our religious tradition tells us to save one life is to save an entire world."
"We are not going away no matter what happens here today in this moment," she added. "We are joining with tens of thousands, if not, millions all over the world to ask our leaders to stop killing Palestinian people."
Gottlieb said the protesters claim there is a link between Jewish safety and Palestinian safety.
"We will get nowhere if we continue to fight wars against civilians," she said.
Last week, Israel agreed to a four-hour daily pause in Gaza to allow civilians to evacuate the region.
Original article source: Jewish group in California holds protest calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
Protesters occupy Oakland Federal Building, call for ceasefire in Gaza
Joey Horta
Mon, November 13, 2023 at 6:10 PM MST·4 min read
OAKLAND, Calif. - Several hundred people took over the rotunda inside the Oakland Federal Building on Monday and hundreds refused to leave. The protest, tied to the war in the Middle East, ended with demonstrators either arrested or detained.
Protesters held signs that read "Jews say Ceasefire Now'.
Shortly after 8 p.m., law enforcement began arresting demonstrators who refused to vacate.
The protest is part of a national week of Jewish-led protests calling for a ceasefire. In a news release, the group Jewish Voice for Peace, said as many as 600 demonstrators are on hand who took action at 4 p.m.
This also comes as President Biden is headed to the Bay Area for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The president is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.
The demonstrators say this is the first mass Jewish sit-in on the West Coast, mirroring similar actions at Grand Central Station in New York and the Israeli consulate in Chicago. It's described as the largest Jewish protest over the Middle East conflict on the West Coast.
Jewish Voice for Peace said they are calling on President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to follow the lead of Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee in her calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Lee, in a statement said, "We demand an immediate ceasefire to protect innocent lives, deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, ensure hostage's safe return and stop the violence."
When demonstrators overtook the building, federal employees were forced to evacuate. But the protesters came in peace. They were armed with banners, they made a lot of noise by clapping and chanting.
Among those protesting are allies including noted filmmaker, Boots Riley, of Oakland. On social media, he posted, "The govt of Israel does not act on behalf of, nor represent Jewish people." He followed up by saying, "A bunch of us are only leaving if it's in handcuffs."
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the first women to become a rabbi, according to the protest group, asked for U.S. government officials not to weaponize the people's grief by committing genocide.
"We're asking that Gazans and Palestinians in the West Bank live and to stop sending U.S. military aid to Israel," Gottlieb said. She noted that more than 15,000 people have died from this conflict in the last three weeks alone – more than have died in the Russia-Ukraine war, she said. "We are here today because our religious tradition tells us to save one life is to save an entire world."
Gottlieb said she has had friends who have died in Gaza during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
"We are not going away no matter what happens here today in this moment. We are joining with tens of thousands, if not, millions all over the world to ask our leaders to stop killing Palestinian people." She said the protesters believe Jewish safety and Palestinians' safety are linked. "We will get nowhere if we continue to fight wars against civilians."
Last week, Israel agreed to a four-hour daily pause in Gaza to allow civilians to flee.
Oakland Police Department officers are at the scene. Police said they are assisting the Federal Protective Service with the demonstration. Early in the protest law enforcement seemed to show restraint and did not make arrests. Streets in the area of the federal building, located at 1301 Clay Street, are closed and there is yellow police tape present.
Shortly before 8 p.m., Riley said Homeland Security began giving orders to disperse. One of his posts shows video of an officer shouting out an order, but he's drowned out by seated peaceful protesters singing, "Ceasefire now…"
We've since been told by organizers that law enforcement has made multiple arrests after about 450 people refused to leave. We are working to get confirmed numbers on arrests or possible detainment of demonstrators from law
Oakland Federal Building protest.
Hundreds Stage Anti-War Sit-In at Oakland Federal Building
Storyful
Tue, November 14, 2023
A number of protesters were arrested after hundreds of people occupied the Oakland Federal Building Conference Center on November 13, and called for a ceasefire in Gaza, local media reported.
Video posted to Facebook by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence shows protesters gathered inside the rotunda and chanting “Let Gaza live”.
The Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Bay Area said in a post to X “We are not leaving, we demand an end to this bloodshed, we will not see Jewish grief used to perpetuate genocide.” Credit: Center for Jewish Nonviolence via Storyful
Video Transcript
[CLAPPING]
- Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live.
Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza live. Let Gaza--
Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune
Mon, November 13, 2023
Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS
CHICAGO — Some commuters arriving downtown Monday morning at Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center were met with protesters calling for an end to the Israeli government’s bombing of Gaza.
More than 1,000 Jewish peace activists gathered outside the Israeli Consulate located in the Ogilvie building to deliver an urgent call for a cease-fire in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians — including thousands of children — have been killed since Oct. 7.
The crisis in Gaza didn’t start Oct. 7, but it intensified that day when Israel was attacked by Hamas — which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization — kidnapping about 240 people and killing 1,200 others.
“We’re shutting down the consulate because business as usual can’t continue when Israel is committing a genocidal assault on Gaza in our name,” said Simone Pass Tucker, a member of the IfNotNow movement.
On Monday, alongside IfNotNow, organizers from Jewish Voice for Peace and Never Again Action made speeches, sang songs and prayed.
The mass action took over the escalators that go up to where the Israeli consulate offices are located and protesters spread out holding a large white sheet with “Jews say ceasefire now” written across it.
Most commuters kept walking by, while some stopped to watch the demonstration. A spokesperson for Metra said that trains continued to run normally, but commuters weren’t able to use the main doors at 500 W. Madison St. to leave the station.
Jodi Melamed, a Jewish Voice for Peace member from Milwaukee, said she hopes the message is clear that Joe Biden’s administration must stop its “insane complicity.”
“We’re here in anger and rage as Jews and as American citizens,” she said. “We really feel that fighting for Palestinian life is the same thing as fighting antisemitism. It’s the same thing as fighting Islamophobia. These are all part of the same fight. Our history makes us stand up for every life. It doesn’t condone genocide.”
Michael Wolfe, chapter organizer for Jewish Voice for Peace, said he too has been trying to dispel the argument that “pro-Palestine equals antisemitism.”
“It’s incredibly dangerous when the Israeli government does what it does, and says that they’re doing it in the name of the Jewish people. It just creates so much confusion that actually makes it harder for people like me to have a real conversation about what antisemitism really is,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe’s aunt and cousins live in Israel, and he noted how they’re able to move freely across the country, while Palestinians living in Gaza or the West Bank cannot.
“The textbook definition of apartheid is to have two different sets of rights for people. Palestinians don’t deserve this,” he said. “I’m continually humbled by the generosity that the Palestinians extend. ... I have a friend who lost more than 34 members of her family (in the attacks on Gaza), and she’s like, ‘Is your family OK?’ This is why we’re doing this.”
According to Jewish Voice for Peace, 100 people were arrested Monday for blocking the entrance to the Israeli Consulate. The Chicago Police Department was not immediately available to confirm those arrests.
“Today’s action was the largest demonstration of Midwest Jews in solidarity with Palestinians in history,” Wolfe said.
He said it’s important to keep the momentum going. “People are resigning from the State Department; congressional staff are telling us privately that it’s working,” he said. “I do have hope.”
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