WASHINGTON/LONDON: Thousands of protesters held a “red line” rally near the White House on Saturday, voicing anger at US President Joe Biden’s tolerance of Israel’s brutal military campaign against Hamas.

Chanting “From DC to Palestine, we are the red line”, the demonstrators held a long banner scribbled with the names of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.

In London thousands of people marched through the city centre to parliament calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The demonstration was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Marchers waved Palestinian flags and chanted: “End the genocide” and “Free, free Palestine”.

While Biden has faced criticism for playing a balancing act on key ally Israel’ actions in the conflict, the White House said last month that a deadly Israeli strike on Rafah did not cross a “red line” that Biden had seemingly set two months earlier when asked about a potential invasion of the southern Gaza city.

“I no longer believe any of the words that Joe Biden says,” said protester 25-year-old Zaid Mahdawi from Virginia, whose parents are Palestinian.

“This `red line’ in his rhetoric is rubbish… it shows his hypocrisy and his cowardice,” Mahdawi said.

Nursing assistant Tala McKinney, 25, said: “I think we all hope it’s going to stop soon, but clearly our president is not living up to the words he is speaking to our country. It’s outrageous.”

The protesters — almost all wearing red clothing — held Palestinian flags and signs saying “Biden’s red line was a lie” and “Bombing children is not self-defence.”

The White House stepped up security with an anti-scale perimeter fence ahead of the demonstration.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2024