Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the White House Tuesday night to decry President Donald Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which Trump proposed that the U.S. take control of the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians.
About 300 protesters draped in keffiyehs and holding signs depicting Netanyahu with bloody hands chanted and listened to speakers from the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and other local pro-Palestinian activist groups in Lafayette Square. Surrounded by barricades and dozens of Metropolitan Police Department officers on bikes, protesters chanted, “Netanyahu you can’t hide, you commit a genocide” while Trump inside the White House proposed that the United States seize control of the Gaza Strip and permanently relocate Palestinians to countries like Egypt and Jordan.
Hamas and Netanyahu in January reached a ceasefire agreement following 15 months of war in the Gaza strip. The first phase of the deal — which included the release of 33 Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners — went into effect on Jan. 19. Hamas has released 18 Israeli hostages and Israel has released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners since the start of the ceasefire.
DMV PYM announced the protest on Instagram Friday, instructing demonstrators to gather near Lafayette Square at 6 p.m. Some protesters held up depictions of Netanyahu’s face and bloodied hands, while another sign showed the Statue of Liberty draped in a bloody Israeli flag that read “Ask what your country can do for Israel.”
One protester stood dressed as the Statue of Liberty while three other demonstrators dressed as Israeli Defense Force soldiers pulled at shackles cuffed to her hands.
Mina, a representative from the Party for Socialism and Liberation who declined to give her last name for safety reasons, said she came to the protest because Palestinian liberation is connected with “worldwide liberation,” and she wants to see all people liberated from imperialism.
“Even though there’s a ceasefire, Palestinians are still getting shot every day,” Mina said. “They’re still being killed. They have returned back to Gaza, but rebuilding and stuff that takes a lot of time, and it’s really hard to rebuild.”
During a joint news conference from the White House with Netanyahu, Trump proposed that the United States take over Gaza and relocate the over two million Palestinians living in the area, adding that he didn’t think they’d want to live in Gaza anymore because the territory has become “hell.” Netanyahu said he was open to the idea at the conference.
Throughout the demonstration, MPD cars blocked off H Street from 18th Street to the White House, and dozens of MPD officers on bikes and on foot lined up on H Street and along the fences blocking off Lafayette Square.
At about 6:30 p.m., a speaker from the Palestinian Youth Movement addressed the crowd, stating that the United States and Israel have been “humiliated” by the Palestinians’ maintained dignity and continued commitment to resistance in the face of continued oppression.
“All these games only serve to delay the inevitable and that is total and complete liberation,” the speaker said.
About 20 Hasidic Jews participated in the protest, with many holding signs that read “Judaism yes! Zionism no! State of Israel must go!” During the protest, they formed a line between the protesters and the MPD officers that lined up on H Street facing the protesters.
At about 6:40 p.m., protesters projected an image of Netanyahu onto the Hay-Adams Hotel that read “Wanted! Arrest war criminal Netanyahu!” Protesters moved the projection onto the Veteran Affairs Building at about 7:24 p.m.
One speaker said Trump suggested building a “resort” on top of Gaza, referring to Trump’s plans to revitalize the Gaza strip under U.S control and calling the territory the “Riviera” of the Middle East. The crowd shouted “Shame!” in response.
“Right now Trump and Netanyahu are discussing how to more efficiently cleanse Gaza of the Indigenous population,” the speaker said.
Another speaker repeated calls for an arms embargo on Israel and demands to “end all U.S. support for Zionism and Israel.” He also mentioned Trump and former President Joe Biden’s relations with Israel, and said they represented “the two faces of empires, evil,” adding that nothing can stop the “liberation” of Palestine.
“No matter what happens through this meeting, no Zionist leader and no U.S. president can kill the Palestinian cause,” the speaker said.
At about 8:00 p.m., protesters began marching down H Street, where they eventually turned onto 17th Street and stopped at the intersection of 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue by the Renwick Gallery. Once there, demonstrators held up a poster depicting an arrest warrant for Netanyahu that was signed by “The People’s Court,” and chanted “Say it loud and say it clear, war criminals aren’t welcome here.”
After stopping, another speaker echoed previous statements made about Trump’s plans for Gaza, asserting that despite the fact that Trump has given large amounts of money to Israel, the two leaders are “afraid” because they know the people will not stop resisting.
“As we heard moments ago Gaza and Palestine being talked about like it’s a real estate project, let’s let them know that it’s going to be a failed real estate investment, because our land is not for sale,” the speaker said.
At about 8:35 p.m., organizers told protesters to get home safe and travel with a buddy, and the crowd began to disperse.
When Netanyahu visited D.C. in August to address a joint session of Congress, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Capitol and the Watergate Hotel over three days of demonstrations. Protesters released maggots and crickets into the Watergate Hotel and projected “Wanted: Arrest war criminal Netanyahu” onto the hotel during his visit.
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