A recent protest organized by the anti-Israel group, ANSWER Coalition, saw a throng of demonstrators, including Democratic congressional aides, vociferously chanting, "Bloody Blinken! Genocide Joe!".
A video excerpt from the live stream of the event captured a protestor leading the crowd in this chant, with another individual translating the chant into sign language.
The protest leader then shifted the focus to the Biden administration, before introducing a group of congressional staffers. "Without further ado, I'll invite the congressional staff up first," he announced. The first staffer to take the podium was Ishmael Abuabara, who identified himself as a Palestinian American congressional aide. Abuabara serves as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), as per his LinkedIn profile.
Abuabara spoke about the growing number of congressional staffers who are aligning with the "majority of Americans" in their call for an "immediate ceasefire in Gaza." He asserted, "I speak for staffers across Capitol Hill, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Many of us have dissented and protested since October 7."
Abuabara further highlighted the role of congressional staffers, stating, "We're the ones who answer your calls and emails." Other members of the congressional staff group on stage held placards that read, "Congress, your staff demands a ceasefire."
Both Democratic and Republican congressional offices have been flooded with calls and emails from various activist campaigns, including the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, following the attack on Israel on October 7. Some of these messages are urging staffers to protest the decisions made by their representatives, according to an anonymous source.
The protest saw thousands of demonstrators marching in the streets of Washington, DC, and other locations, bearing signs with slogans such as "ceasefire now" and "END ISRAELI 4P4RTHEID." The ANSWER Coalition shared a video of other segments of the protest where demonstrators chanted, "Resistance is justified, when people are occupied."
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