WASHINGTON — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators converged on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, demanding an immediate and permanent embargo on all American arms sales to Israel and the imposition of comprehensive sanctions on Tel Aviv.
Waving Palestinian national flags and holding placards denouncing Israeli operations in Gaza, protesters called for an end to what they described as sustained genocide and the prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories. Several signs also drew direct economic parallels, linking massive federal expenditures on foreign military aid to escalating domestic living costs, inflation, and stagnant wages at home.
The mobilization and march were co-organized by a coalition of rights advocacy groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). Marking three years since the escalation of hostilities in Gaza in October 2023, organizers said the action was intended to escalate domestic and international political pressure on Washington over its ongoing military transfers and diplomatic shield for Israel.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Nuhat Akkar, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, affirmed that civil society groups remain resolute in holding U.S. elected officials accountable for underwriting overseas violence.
“We refuse to allow this genocide to become normalized,” Akkar said. “Our message to the people of Gaza and across the region is unwavering: we stand with them. Our fight is not only to halt this bloodshed, but to secure total liberation and the fundamental right of return.”
Akkar also underscored growing grassroots pressure on state and municipal public funds to divest from corporations manufacturing weapons destined for Israel. Pointing to statewide organizing efforts, she highlighted ongoing campaigns targeting Virginia’s public retirement system to divest over $394 million in state pension holdings from major defense contractors supplying Israeli forces, urging lawmakers to reject financial complicity in human rights violations.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, International Wire Services (Washington Bureau).