Several additional barriers have been put in place around the White House ahead of this weekend’s pro-Palestinian demonstration, where activists plan to surround the iconic residence and call for an end to U.S. support for Israel amid its war with Hamas militants.
A handful of activist groups, including CODEPINK and the Council on American Islamic Relations, said this week that they plan to mark eight months of the war in the Middle East through demonstrations in the nation’s capital.
The most significant demonstration – the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) protest is taking place Saturday outside the White House, leading to enhanced security precautions.
Several barriers and anti-scale fencing were erected this week ahead of the planned demonstration, with additional barriers appearing to have been set up prior to the demonstrations early Saturday morning.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said, “In preparation for the events this weekend in Washington D.C. that have the potential for large crowds to gather, additional public safety measures, including anti-scale fencing, have been put in place near the White House complex.”
Expected speakers at Saturday’s protest include legal scholars, attorneys, and family members of individuals in Gaza. Others are also expected to speak, including Loubna Qutami, a member of the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC); Brian Becker, national director for the ANSWER Coalition; Layan Fuleihan, education director for The People’s Forum; Jill Stein, presidential candidate for the Green Party; Claudia De la Cruz, presidential nominee for the Party for Socialism and Liberation 2024; Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of CODEPINK; and Nidal Jboor, a co-founder of Doctors Against Genocide.
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Throughout the U.S. in recent months, numerous anti-Israel protests have swept across the nation, including on several college campuses and in larger cities.
Other anti-Israel protests have caused major disruptions to traffic in different parts of the country, where activists would block certain roads and prevent people from reaching particular destinations like the airport or train station.
Following the dismantling of multiple anti-Israel encampments that were set up on college campuses earlier this year, President Biden said in May that he does not support the “chaos” that stems from many of the protests.
“There is a right to protest, but not a right to cause chaos,” Biden said from the White House at the time.
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“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the canceling of classes and graduations — none of this is a peaceful protest,” he added.
Biden and his administration have faced immense pressure from the progressive wing of his party to withdraw U.S. aid to the war-torn country.
