SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Demonstrators from several groups block Biden's motorcade to SOTU speech
(Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Biden Legacy = Genocide
Mar 08, 2024
Declaring, "We are outraged, we are heartbroken," hundreds of protesters turned out to block Biden's motorcade en route to his State of the Union speech, forcing cars to take "the long way" to the Capitol. Demonstrators from Jewish Voice For Peace and other groups said they were "holding a people's state of the union" to call for an end to U.S funding for Israel's assault on Gaza. "We know the state of the union," they said. “It's a state of genocide."
Concluding a day-long series of protests across Washington DC, hundreds of people in black shirts reading "Not In Our Name" and "Biden’s Legacy = Genocide" sat and stood along Pennsylvania Avenue near the Capitol, delaying Biden's speech by about a half hour. Organizers with megaphones led the crowd in impassioned chants: "Biden Biden You Can't Hide, We Charge You With Genocide," "Free, Free Palestine," "Stop Arming Israel," "Shame," "No More Money for Israel's Crimes." Banners were unfurled with the names of the over 30,000 Palestinians killed to date, alongside a sign that read, "Each Child of Gaza Is One of Our Own." Hours before the speech, demonstrators also gathered outside the White House, prompting police to block off roads. A Palestinian flag hung from the balcony of a Congressional office building, and many protesters donned keffiyehs. Said Ahmad Abuznaid, director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, "We are here today because enough is enough."
Protestors block traffic near US Capitol ahead of State of the Unionwww.youtube.com
Demonstrators also blocked traffic across the country from Los Angeles to Boston, where over 50 people were arrested. In Chicago, activists from a dozen Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, multi-racial and teaching organizations held a 24-hour vigil that began with the reading of the names of Gaza's victims. "Thousands and thousands of people, men, women, children are dying," said one JVP member. "(It's) important to say these are real human beings." Arguing Biden would "say nothing substantive" about the conflict, many cited the need to "deliver our own state of the union." They are demanding a permanent ceasefire, an end to U.S. military funding for Israel, the reinstatement of funding to UNRWA, the UN agency that provides critical humanitarian aid, and investment in meeting Palestinian needs, from housing to health care to, ultimately, the dismantling of Israel's decades-old apartheid state in order to usher in "a just and lasting peace."
Among those participating were members of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that works in Gaza and the West Bank trying to serve hot meals and find food and water for the displaced. "The Biden Administration has the power, and the responsibility, to stop the killing," said AFSC General Secretary Joyce Ajlouny. "It is a cruel irony to drop food when at the same time the U.S. is funding the dropping of bombs." Others argued that acts of civil disobedience are "the bare minimum" by way of response to an administration that has "lost (its) moral standing" by facilitating the slaughter of 30,000 civilians. "The State of the Union is genocide," said one JVP member. "We will not accept a president who claims to be fighting for democracy while ignoring the majority of people he represents."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Abby Zimet
Abby Zimet has written CD's Further column since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, she moved to the Maine woods in the early 70s, where she spent a dozen years building a house, hauling water and writing before moving to Portland. Having come of political age during the Vietnam War, she has long been involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice and refugee rights issues. Email: azimet18@gmail.com
Declaring, "We are outraged, we are heartbroken," hundreds of protesters turned out to block Biden's motorcade en route to his State of the Union speech, forcing cars to take "the long way" to the Capitol. Demonstrators from Jewish Voice For Peace and other groups said they were "holding a people's state of the union" to call for an end to U.S funding for Israel's assault on Gaza. "We know the state of the union," they said. “It's a state of genocide."
Concluding a day-long series of protests across Washington DC, hundreds of people in black shirts reading "Not In Our Name" and "Biden’s Legacy = Genocide" sat and stood along Pennsylvania Avenue near the Capitol, delaying Biden's speech by about a half hour. Organizers with megaphones led the crowd in impassioned chants: "Biden Biden You Can't Hide, We Charge You With Genocide," "Free, Free Palestine," "Stop Arming Israel," "Shame," "No More Money for Israel's Crimes." Banners were unfurled with the names of the over 30,000 Palestinians killed to date, alongside a sign that read, "Each Child of Gaza Is One of Our Own." Hours before the speech, demonstrators also gathered outside the White House, prompting police to block off roads. A Palestinian flag hung from the balcony of a Congressional office building, and many protesters donned keffiyehs. Said Ahmad Abuznaid, director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, "We are here today because enough is enough."
Protestors block traffic near US Capitol ahead of State of the Unionwww.youtube.com
Demonstrators also blocked traffic across the country from Los Angeles to Boston, where over 50 people were arrested. In Chicago, activists from a dozen Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, multi-racial and teaching organizations held a 24-hour vigil that began with the reading of the names of Gaza's victims. "Thousands and thousands of people, men, women, children are dying," said one JVP member. "(It's) important to say these are real human beings." Arguing Biden would "say nothing substantive" about the conflict, many cited the need to "deliver our own state of the union." They are demanding a permanent ceasefire, an end to U.S. military funding for Israel, the reinstatement of funding to UNRWA, the UN agency that provides critical humanitarian aid, and investment in meeting Palestinian needs, from housing to health care to, ultimately, the dismantling of Israel's decades-old apartheid state in order to usher in "a just and lasting peace."
Among those participating were members of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that works in Gaza and the West Bank trying to serve hot meals and find food and water for the displaced. "The Biden Administration has the power, and the responsibility, to stop the killing," said AFSC General Secretary Joyce Ajlouny. "It is a cruel irony to drop food when at the same time the U.S. is funding the dropping of bombs." Others argued that acts of civil disobedience are "the bare minimum" by way of response to an administration that has "lost (its) moral standing" by facilitating the slaughter of 30,000 civilians. "The State of the Union is genocide," said one JVP member. "We will not accept a president who claims to be fighting for democracy while ignoring the majority of people he represents."
From Your Site Articles
Abby Zimet
Abby Zimet has written CD's Further column since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, she moved to the Maine woods in the early 70s, where she spent a dozen years building a house, hauling water and writing before moving to Portland. Having come of political age during the Vietnam War, she has long been involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice and refugee rights issues. Email: azimet18@gmail.com
Declaring, "We are outraged, we are heartbroken," hundreds of protesters turned out to block Biden's motorcade en route to his State of the Union speech, forcing cars to take "the long way" to the Capitol. Demonstrators from Jewish Voice For Peace and other groups said they were "holding a people's state of the union" to call for an end to U.S funding for Israel's assault on Gaza. "We know the state of the union," they said. “It's a state of genocide."
Concluding a day-long series of protests across Washington DC, hundreds of people in black shirts reading "Not In Our Name" and "Biden’s Legacy = Genocide" sat and stood along Pennsylvania Avenue near the Capitol, delaying Biden's speech by about a half hour. Organizers with megaphones led the crowd in impassioned chants: "Biden Biden You Can't Hide, We Charge You With Genocide," "Free, Free Palestine," "Stop Arming Israel," "Shame," "No More Money for Israel's Crimes." Banners were unfurled with the names of the over 30,000 Palestinians killed to date, alongside a sign that read, "Each Child of Gaza Is One of Our Own." Hours before the speech, demonstrators also gathered outside the White House, prompting police to block off roads. A Palestinian flag hung from the balcony of a Congressional office building, and many protesters donned keffiyehs. Said Ahmad Abuznaid, director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, "We are here today because enough is enough."
Protestors block traffic near US Capitol ahead of State of the Unionwww.youtube.com
Demonstrators also blocked traffic across the country from Los Angeles to Boston, where over 50 people were arrested. In Chicago, activists from a dozen Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, multi-racial and teaching organizations held a 24-hour vigil that began with the reading of the names of Gaza's victims. "Thousands and thousands of people, men, women, children are dying," said one JVP member. "(It's) important to say these are real human beings." Arguing Biden would "say nothing substantive" about the conflict, many cited the need to "deliver our own state of the union." They are demanding a permanent ceasefire, an end to U.S. military funding for Israel, the reinstatement of funding to UNRWA, the UN agency that provides critical humanitarian aid, and investment in meeting Palestinian needs, from housing to health care to, ultimately, the dismantling of Israel's decades-old apartheid state in order to usher in "a just and lasting peace."
Among those participating were members of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that works in Gaza and the West Bank trying to serve hot meals and find food and water for the displaced. "The Biden Administration has the power, and the responsibility, to stop the killing," said AFSC General Secretary Joyce Ajlouny. "It is a cruel irony to drop food when at the same time the U.S. is funding the dropping of bombs." Others argued that acts of civil disobedience are "the bare minimum" by way of response to an administration that has "lost (its) moral standing" by facilitating the slaughter of 30,000 civilians. "The State of the Union is genocide," said one JVP member. "We will not accept a president who claims to be fighting for democracy while ignoring the majority of people he represents."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.