Jewish civil society organizations advocating for peace, such as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and IfNotNow, once again conducted an occupation protest at the Congress building.
Demonstrators called for a "ceasefire" from the U.S. government and, after secretly entering the Congress building in Washington, D.C., they occupied the offices of some senators, including Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Democratic Senator Hakeem Jeffries, and conducted a sit-in.
The congressional police intervened in the sit-in, arresting at least 49 protesters. It was understood that the protesters entered the building through various entrances as visitors.
During noon hours, peace-supporting Jewish protesters gathered at Columbus Circle Square in the capital, holding Palestinian flags and anti-war banners, and organized a march in support of Palestine.
As the protesters marched toward the Congress building, another group occupied congressional members' offices and initiated a sit-in.
The demonstrators chanted slogans like "Let Gaza Live" and, along with singing peace songs in Hebrew and English, expressed their support for their friends who were arrested within the Congress building.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on behalf of the Jewish groups organizing the protest, Rose Espinola stated, "We call on congressional members, President Biden, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use all their power to immediately establish a ceasefire and release those held hostage by Hamas. Today, we delivered this message directly to congressional members."
Espinola, who mentioned thinking about "the 2,000 Palestinian children killed" while holding her two-year-old the previous night, emphasized, "As Jews, we say to congressional members that our age should not be your weapon," asserting that Hamas's actions cannot justify the killing of innocent people.
Jerry Bowen, who is married to a Palestinian, described the Israeli occupation as a "75-year genocide" and said, "Our congressional members and senators become accomplices by funding this genocide. I am ashamed of our representatives voting to send money there. I believe they should be prosecuted in The Hague."
The protesters called on decision-makers in Congress to take action regarding a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and addressing the root causes of the occupation. They emphasized the need to use the money collected from American taxpayers for peace rather than war and called on Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders to support their cause.
