2023 Democratic National Convention protests | |||
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Part of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war protests in the United States | |||
Date | 15 November 2023 (6:40 pm to 10 pm) | ||
Location | (N 38° 53' 2.6484", W 77° 0' 30.942") | ||
Caused by | 2023 Israel–Hamas war | ||
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The 2023 Democratic National Committee protests were a pro-Palestine protest turned violent. [8] The protest organizers, the Jewish Voice for Peace and the IfNotNow movement as well as other Pro-Palestinian protesters arrived outside the DNC building on 430 South Capitol St. SE at 6:40 pm after a candlelight vigil at 3rd Street and Maryland Avenue SW. [5] The protest forced Capitol Police to shut down several roads in the area as officers tried to deal with the protesters. [9]
The protests also showed a clear divide within the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war and a clear divide within U.S. President Joe Biden's voter base. [10] [11] [12]
The protests started on 15 November 2023 at around 6:40pm, the protesters went to the DNC building on 430 South Capitol St. SE and blocked the entrances to the DNC while Democratic representatives and candidates, including House Minority Leader Suzan DelBene, the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell were inside the building for a campaign reception. [13] [14] About 10 members were inside the headquarters at the time of the protest, and were meeting with House candidates who were in town for training and connections. [13] The protesters were chanting Pro-Palestinian slogans and wore black shirts that read "Cease Fire Now". The protestors called for a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to American military support to Israel, and the establishment of a "Free Palestinian State".
As the protest continued, Capitol Police arrived on scene and shut down multiple roads in order to try and contain the situation. At 8:38 pm ET they said that: "Right now our officers are working to keep back approximately 150 people who are illegally and violently protesting in the area of Canal Street and Ivy Street, SE. Officers are making arrests. [15] All Members have been evacuated from the area. Please stay away from the area". Videos on social media showed protesters trying to grab hold of metal barricades as the officers moved in to make arrests. [1]
IfNotNow posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that "police are being extremely violent." They also posted: "We are linking arms, threatening no one, and begging our politicians to support an end to the killing and the suffering in Gaza. Begging, peacefully, for a ceasefire". Capitol Police used pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Fist fights were also seen on videos posted to social media. [16] According to Capitol Police, an officer reportedly witnessed a protester "slam another officer into a garage door and then punched the female officer in the face." [6] Inside the Democratic headquarters, police rushed into the reception and directed lawmakers to the basement, according to California democratic representative Brad Sherman, some people were later evacuated in police vehicles. [17] By 10 pm, the Capitol Police said that all house buildings had returned to normal operations. [2]
On 16 November 2023 IfNotNow claimed on their X account that 90 protesters were injured and posted a video from the protests. [4] The Washington Post reported that at least 100 protesters had suffered injuries after being pepper-sprayed and pushed by police. [5] At least 1 protester was arrested and other 1 protester, a 24 year old from New York was charged with assault on an officer. [6] Officers later indicated that they were not more arrests as they were working to hold the police line. [18] Politico compared the protests to the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests. [19]
Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA) posted on social media that he had been evacuated from the DNC "after pro-terrorist, anti-#Israel protesters" became violent and assaulted police officers. [20] IfNotNow claimed that their actions were peaceful and the Capitol Police were the ones who were violent. Spokesperson Eva Borgwardt sited Shermans account in a statement, calling it inaccurate and that his comments were "dangerous and reckless". [20] [21] Democratic leadership released a statement said that "Protesters escalated their activity in a manner that exceeded a peaceful demonstration". [22] The political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Beth Miller stated that "hundreds of peaceful anti-war activists" had been met with "brutal assaults by the police" while calling on Democrats to decide what side of the conflict they stand on. [13] American Muslim writer and civil rights scholar Omar Suleiman said on his X account: "Unbelievable. Capitol police throwing protestors shouting not in our name and calling for a ceasefire down the steps of the Democratic National Headquarters. Good luck in 2024 y’all". [23]
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden called into a DNC and campaign staff meeting on November 16 and expressed appreciation for law enforcement, and thanked staffers and offered holiday wishes for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. [13]
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a big tent, democratic socialist political organization in the United States. After the Socialist Party of America (SPA) transformed into Social Democrats, USA, Michael Harrington formed the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC). The DSOC later merged with the New American Movement (NAM) to form the DSA. The organization is headquartered in New York City and has about 80,000 members. It leads organizing and protest campaigns, and has members in the House of Representatives, state legislatures, and other local offices.
IfNotNow is an American Jewish group which opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its membership demonstrates against politicians, United States policies, and institutions it perceives as supporting occupation, usually seeking to apply pressure through direct action and media appearances. It has been characterized variously as progressive or far-left.
Gaza-Israel clashes began on 11 November 2018, when a botched Israeli covert operation carried out in the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip killed seven Palestinian militants and one Israeli soldier. Exchanges of fire lasted for two more days, until a cease fire was achieved with Egyptian mediation. Some minor incidents and protests followed some two weeks after the cease fire, with decreasing intensity.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention in which delegates of the United States Democratic Party voted on their party platform and ceremonially reported their vote to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris for president and her chosen running mate Governor Tim Walz for vice president in the 2024 presidential election. It was held from August 19 to 22, 2024, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates virtually nominated Harris and Walz the first week of August. Harris is the first Black woman and first South Asian woman to be the presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States, and the first Democratic presidential nominee from the Western United States.
Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, the United States began to send warships and military aircraft into the Eastern Mediterranean and began sending Israel more military supplies. The Joe Biden administration stated that Israel would receive "whatever it needs" to support its offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The 2021 Gaza War, sometimes called the Unity Intifada, was a major outbreak of violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that mainly commenced on 10 May 2021, and continued until a ceasefire came into effect on 21 May. It was marked by protests and police riot control, rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. The crisis was triggered on 6 May, when Palestinians in East Jerusalem began protesting over an anticipated decision of the Supreme Court of Israel on the eviction of six Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Under international law, the area, effectively annexed by Israel in 1980, is a part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank; On 7 May, according to Israel's Channel 12, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli police forces, who then stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound using tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades. The crisis prompted protests around the world as well as official reactions from world leaders.
The following is a timeline of events during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2021, including the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.
There were a series of international protests over a May 2021 flare-up of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. A ceasefire of the hostilities was agreed upon on 20 May.
The year 2023 in Israel was defined first by wide-scale protests against a proposed judicial reform, and then by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which led to a war and to Israel invading the Gaza Strip.
On 7 October 2023, a large escalation of the Gaza–Israel conflict began with a coordinated offensive by multiple Palestinian militant groups against Israel. A number of countries, including many of Israel's Western allies, such as the United States and a number of European countries, condemned the attacks by Hamas, expressed solidarity for Israel and stated that Israel has a right to defend itself from armed attacks, while countries of the Muslim world have expressed support for the Palestinians, blaming the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories as being the root cause for the escalation of violence. The events prompted several world leaders to announce their intention to visit Israel, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Wikipedia articles available about the Israel–Hamas war. It is an evolving list.
The Israel–Hamas war has sparked protests, demonstrations, and vigils around the world. These events focused on a variety of issues related to the conflict, including demands for a ceasefire, an end to the Israeli blockade and occupation, return of Israeli hostages, protesting war crimes, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Protests against Israeli action in Gaza were notably large across the Arab world. Since the war began on 7 October 2023, the death toll has exceeded 40,000.
Protests, including rallies, demonstrations, campaigns, and vigils, relating to the Israel–Hamas war have occurred nationwide across the United States since the conflict's start on October 7, 2023, occurring as part of a broader phenomenon of the Israel–Hamas war protests around the world.
As a result of the Israel–Hamas war, nationwide protests occurred across the UK. These demonstrations occurred as part of a broader movement of war-related protests occurring around the world.
Within Our Lifetime - United For Palestine (WOL), is a pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist activist organization primarily active in New York City. The group, which expresses support for Hamas and Palestinian political violence against Israel, has been one of the key organizers in the city's ongoing Israel-Hamas war protests.
H. Res. 786, also known as the Ceasefire Now Resolution, is a proposed resolution in the United States House of Representatives. The resolution was introduced by Cori Bush (D-MO) in the 118th Congress in October 2023.
The Israel–Hamas war has had significant effects on some major European Union member countries and institutions.
Following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, the United Kingdom has provided Israel with extensive military and diplomatic support. In response to the 7 October attacks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted that the United Kingdom "unequivocally" stands with Israel. The UK also issued an "unequivocal condemnation" of Palestinian militant group Hamas and deployed British Armed Forces personnel and assets to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel.
Over the span of two days in July 2024, a series of protests against the United States' involvement in the Israel–Hamas war occurred in Washington D.C. The protests coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the United States and giving a speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. 23 people in total were arrested by police.
In Melbourne, there has been a pro-Palestinian march every Sunday beginning in front of the State Library Victoria since 7 October, starting on 10 October. This march usually ends at Parliament House, but on 5 May the march proceeded to Victorian Trades Hall, and lead their annual May Day march through the city and back to the Trades Hall.