Approximately 200 people were arrested in the Cannon Rotunda for protesting the Gaza war

On July 23, 2024, there were nearly 200 people arrested in the Cannon House Office Building Rotunda in Washington, D.C., while protesting an end to the Gaza conflict and a halt to U.S. military support for Israel. Two Jewish anti-Zionist groups organized the protest: Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now.

The protesters who were dressed in red shirts with slogans such as Jews say stop arming Israel engaged in a sit-down protest while the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, was in Washington to meet with President Joe Biden. They called for an end to the fighting, where they were mainly focused on the speedy escalating humanitarian situation in Gaza CITY, which has lost so many people and is stretched to the point of having a very short supply of just about everything because of the never-ending war.

The Capitol Police warned the protesters to disperse, citing that demonstrations inside Congressional buildings are illegal. When they failed to comply, police began arresting protesters. The many arrested included several rabbis and activists who said their Jewish faith compelled them to speak out against what they described as a genocide in Gaza​​​​.

Part of this protest is part of a more significant wave of demonstrations that are currently taking place all over the U.S. and the rest of the world in response to the rising violence in Gaza. Most notably, such protests nowadays involve heavy participation from Jewish communities, standing up for the rights of Palestinians and calling to put an end to the conflict. 

That action in the Cannon Rotunda occurred hours after an even more significant rally on the National Mall called for a ceasefire. It included speeches by well-known individuals, such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Cori Bush​​​​. You can find further information by reading the articles from WUSA9, Democracy Now, and Times of Israel.