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Jess Benjamin

Under the banner of “Jews Against Genocide,” thousands of protesters gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., at noon on October 18 to hear from several speakers, including Democratic Representatives Cori Bush, of Missouri, and Rashida Tlaib, of Michigan, as well as comedian Mohammed Amer and Jewish Voice for Peace Executive Director Stefanie Fox.

On the Line: Raising Our Voices for Peace in the Halls of Power

by

Many of us are mourning our Israeli and Palestinian friends and loved ones. We are in pain and grief, trying to process the horrific violence that has left so many decent people we know injured, traumatized, kidnapped, or killed. But we refuse to let our grief be weaponized to justify the murder of more Palestinians. As American Jews, we demand a ceasefire now. No genocide in our name.

President Joe Biden and every American political leader must demand a ceasefire now.

The time to mobilize is now, to prevent this genocide from going forward. We demand that President Biden use his leverage to implement a ceasefire and use any possible tool to force Israel to halt its war on Palestinians in Gaza.

The severity of the moment cannot be overstated. We cannot sit idly by while countless lives are lost.

These photos are all from actions in Washington, D.C., and New York City on October 18 and 27, 2023.

As hundreds of protesters prepared to shut down the Cannon House Office Building, thousands of Jews, Palestinians, and their allies marched from the Capitol rally to join them outside. Marchers chanted “Ceasefire now!” and “Never again for anyone!” as Congressional staffers looked on.

Protesters dressed in “Ceasefire Now” T-shirts staged a sit-in inside the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building, raising banners and calling on their elected officials to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Jewish protesters blow the shofar, a traditional ram’s horn used in Jewish religious rituals, in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building. Other protesters sang, prayed, and chanted during the sit-in.

Two protesters wearing tallits, or Jewish prayer shawls, were among the hundreds of Jews and allies arrested by the Capitol Police during the rotunda sit-in.

During Friday night rush hour on October 27, the New York City chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, along with several partner organizations, took over Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan, New York. Organizers led chants and made speeches demanding no more business as usual while the U.S. government supports a genocide in Gaza.

After receiving an action alert at 6 p.m., thousands of people joined Jewish Voice for Peace-New York in the main hall of Grand Central Station. Although police quickly began shutting down entrances to the station, the crowd filled the terminal, bringing the iconic transport hub to a standstill.

Recalling an iconic protest from the AIDS advocacy group ACT UP in 1991, protesters scaled the walls of Grand Central Station, blocking train departure signs with banners reading “Never Again for Anyone” and “Palestinians Should Be Free.”

As the New York City Police Department announced it would start arresting people, more than 500 people remained in the station, continuing to engage in civil disobedience.

Police arrested more than 350 protesters inside Grand Central Station, but thousands more gathered outside the terminal in an impromptu rally. Together, the crowd sang songs of solidarity with Palestine, projected “Ceasefire Now” graphics on nearby buildings, and chanted for hours.