Protests relating to the Israel–Hamas war
Protests, including rallies, demonstrations, campaigns, and vigils, relating to the Gaza war have occurred nationwide across the United States since the conflict's start on October 7, 2023, occurring as part of a broader phenomenon of the Gaza war protests around the world.
In the first ten days of the war, pro-Israeli demonstrations in support of Israel in the wake of the Hamas-led attack and focusing on the Israeli hostage crisis were most common, but they have since been outnumbered by pro-Palestinian anti-war protests calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation. Pro-Palestinian protestors criticized US military and diplomatic support to Israel and Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip and its war conduct, which some called a genocide. These protests included Jewish groups and some US administration staffers.
By December 5, more than 1 million Americans had participated in protest over the conflict, across over 2,600 events: 442 in support of Israel, and 2,100 in support of Palestine. An escalation of pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses began on April 17, 2024.
Four people have self-immolated in protest of the war: an unidentified woman draped in a Palestinian flag on December 1, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia, who survived with serious injures; and Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old serviceman of the United States Air Force, in Washington, D.C., died in hospital on February 25, 2024. The third by anti-war activist Matt Nelson occurred in Boston in September 2024. The fourth occurred in Washington, D.C., in October 2024.
National.
Pro-Palestine protests were held throughout the United States on Black Friday with activists calling to "shut it down" for Palestine. There were protests in Los Angeles; Chicago; Troy, Michigan; Saint Louis, Missouri; Estero, Florida; and many other cities.
As of December 5, according to Harvard's Nonviolent Action Lab and the Crowd Counting Consortium, more than 1 million Americans had participated in protests over the conflict.
"Ceasefire carols" were organized by activists throughout the United States leading up to Christmas 2023. Sarah Abbott who helped organize a carol outside Senator Amy Klobuchar's home was quoted in CBS Minnesota saying, "Our government is funding this genocide, white Christians have historically and currently played major roles in the perpetuation of Zionism, and as people of conscience, we can't stand by silently." Ceasefire carols were sung in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Louisville, Kentucky; Salt Lake City, Utah; and in at least 17 other cities.
On December 27, protesters blocked airports, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
In February 2024, a joint report by the Center for Constitutional Rights and Palestine Legal found widespread legal attacks against pro-Palestinian activism, describing it as "a dangerous attack on constitutionally protected speech and association".
In response to actions taken by the Biden administration in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to the war, Muslim and Arab Americans organized a campaign titled "Abandon Biden" to advocate against voting for Biden in the 2024 presidential election. Leaders from the United Electrical Workers and United Auto Workers vowed to use their electoral clout to push for a ceasefire.
In April 2024, USAF airman Larry Hebert, a member of Veterans for Peace, began a hunger strike to bring attention to starving children in Gaza. The Tax Day protests were held on Tax Day (April 15). After the police crackdown of the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation on April 18, Gaza solidarity encampments spread to multiple campuses across the US, including MIT, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Marland, and Tufts University.
2024 presidential election events.
Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the Gaza humanitarian crisis, President Biden has faced sustained opposition and event disruptions from a vocal minority of progressives, Arab Americans, and Muslims over his handling of the conflict and the creation of a protest vote movement against him.
At a campaign rally in Virginia on January 23, 2024, incumbent president Joe Biden was interrupted more than a dozen times by protesters calling for a ceasefire. The following day, he was interrupted by anti-war protesters in Washington, D.C., during an endorsement rally held by the United Auto Workers. Following these protests, the Biden campaign took "extraordinary" steps to prevent pro-Palestinian protesters from interrupting the president, including avoiding college campuses, hiring private companies to vet attendees, and not disclosing his events' locations ahead of time. On March 10, a protester at a Biden campaign event interrupted his speech, stating, "You're a dictator, genocide Joe. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead. Children are dying." Protesters interrupted Biden speaking on healthcare in North Carolina, telling him, "Hospitals in Gaza are being bombed," to which Biden replied, "They have a point. We need to get a lot more care into Gaza."
On March 28, Biden held a fundraiser for his presidential campaign at Radio City Music Hall, accompanied by former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as other celebrities. Biden and the former presidents were repeatedly heckled during the event by pro-Palestine protesters, and a demonstration was held outside the venue to protest the Biden administration's policies in Gaza. According to Within Our Lifetime organizer Nerdeen Kiswani, about 1,000 were in attendance. In April 2024, Biden cancelled a planned Iftar due to pushback from invited Muslim American attendees. At the 2024 White House Correspondents' Dinner, protesters shouted "Shame on you!" at arriving attendees.
Queer pro-Palestinian Protests.
During Pride parades throughout 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters counter-protested against celebration. Many often disrupted parades, leading to significant controversy.
Midwest.
Illinois.
An October 14 protest in Chicago called for the freeing of hostages taken by Hamas, peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and an end to all killings of civilians. On October 24, two men were arrested after one shot into the air and another pepper-sprayed pro-Palestinian demonstrators at an Israel solidarity event near Chicago. On Black Friday, about 1,000 protesters marched on the Magnificent Mile retail district to condemn violence in Gaza. Police shut down streets and snowplows were used to corral the protesters. On the day before Christmas Eve, a large car caravan organized by a pro-Palestinian group blocked the I-90 near O'Hare International Airport. On New Year's Eve, hundreds of pro-Palestinian marched in Chicago, blocking the I-90 again, as well as the I-94. On January 5, 2024, protesters at Chicago Union Station demonstrated for a ceasefire.
On August 19, thousands protested near the United Center on the first day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Some tore down security fences while more chanted "End the occupation now!" and "The whole world is watching!" as a nod to anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in 1968.
Indiana.
Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests and demonstrations occurred on each side of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Indianapolis on October 12, 2023. A pro-Palestinian protest took place on January 8, 2024, also at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, where nearly 30 people attended before increasing to about 60 people, after moving to protest outside United States senator Todd Young's residence.
On April 25, a pro-Palestine protest occurred outside the residence of state governor Eric Holcomb, which resulted in the arrests of fourteen people. Additionally, protesters obstructed Meridian Street in Indianapolis on the same day, which led to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department threatening arrests on them.
In September 2024, two people were charged with blocking the driveway of a Raytheon facility in Fort Wayne, giving letters to employees urging them to find a different use for their products. Charges were dropped in December.
Iowa.
A pro-Palestine rally was held in Cowles Commons in downtown Des Moines on October 10 with approximately 80 people attending.
On October 25, hundreds of Grinnell College students walked out demanding that the college stop any financial support of Israel. On November 4, more than 100 University of Iowa students and community members from across Iowa gathered to rally for Palestine, calling for justice, peace and freedom from the oppression of Israel. On December 17, nearly 150 protesters gathered in two separate demonstrations in front of Terrace Hill, the official residence of the governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, as she was hosting a Christmas party. One demonstration was pro-Palestine, titled "No Justice No Christmas", while the other was in support of Iowa's Area Education Agencies (AEAs), with 40 people attending. Other protesters spoke out against recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the state and a local drag artist performed.
Kansas.
On November 14, 500 flags memorializing 10,000 Palestinians who died from October 7 to November 14 were placed on the lawn of Watson Library at the University of Kansas. The event was organized by the Muslim Student Association and Al-Hadaf KC. The Muslim Student Association and Middle Eastern Student Association organized a student walk-out for Palestine on November 20 with the goal of the chancellor of the university, Douglas Girod, releasing a statement in solidarity with Palestinian people. On November 30, pro-Palestine activists organized a sit-in at Strong Hall on the University of Kansas campus and hung banners inside and outside of the building. Protesters called again for a statement from the chancellor and criticized the university's involvement in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Over 100 activists marched down Massachusetts Street on March 2, 2024, calling for "hands off Rafah", for more humanitarian aid, and to vote uncommitted in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primary.
On the first day of Chanukah, December 7, around two dozen activists from Jewish Voice for Peace sat in Sharice Davids' Overland Park, Kansas, office calling for a ceasefire and for more humanitarian aid to Gaza. Protesters carried signs saying, "Chanukah for ceasefire" and "Stop funding genocide".
Michigan.
A group of pro-ceasefire activists gathered at the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 7, resulting in three arrests for people who refused to leave the office of Representative Hillary Scholten. In Detroit, a Thanksgiving Day parade was interrupted by about 200 pro-Palestine protesters. On February 1, 2024, a group of Arab Americans protested against the arrival of Joe Biden for a campaign stop in Dearborn.
On the 2024 Quds Day (April 5), a pro-Palestine rally was organised in Dearborn (a city considered the capital of Arab Americans), where some protesters chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". The Al Quds Committee Detroit, who organised the rally, posted on Facebook that the chants were "wrongful" and "a mistake", but that they will also continue to criticise the foreign policy of the United States.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud spoke at a Dearborn rally on September 24, 2024, immediately following activist Osama Siblani. The two embraced as Hammoud joined Siblani on the stage. Siblani called to "return [Israelis] to Poland" and praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hammoud did not address the praise for the Hezbollah leader or the crowd's calls of "death to Israel", and did not respond to the media's request for comment.
Minnesota.
On October 10, a pro-Israel solidarity gathering took place at the Beth el Synagogue in St. Louis Park. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke: "They are trying to destroy Israel. We will not let that happen." On October 18, a large crowd gathered outside the Minnesota State Capitol to support Palestinians in St. Paul. On October 22, in Minneapolis, a pro-Palestinian rally took place on the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge. A car drove through the crowd in the afternoon and a confrontation occurred. A man was arrested in Minneapolis after driving through a crowd of anti-war activists. On November 1, a protester interrupted a speech by Joe Biden in Minneapolis asking him to call for a ceasefire, leading him to respond that a humanitarian "pause" was needed. On November 11, hundreds of activists marched Cathedral Hill to the state capitol demanding a cease-fire.
Seventy pro-ceasefire protesters demonstrated outside of Democratic presidential candidate and congressman Dean Phillips' office in Minnetonka on December 6. Hundreds protested for a ceasefire outside Amy Klobuchar's office on January 8.
On June 1, Twin Ports DSA held a rally outside Duluth City Hall. Speakers represented Palestinian, Indigenous, Muslim and Jewish viewpoints. They demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, repeal of the Minnesota Anti-Boycott, and Sanction Law and end of all aid to Israel. The group then marched to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center where the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) was endorsing candidates and selecting delegates for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
Missouri.
On November 6, more than 75 activists blocked the entrances to the Boeing plant in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, where the company manufactures bombs that have been