At the Jewish Voice for Peace rally, thousands of protesters made clear that they will no longer allow the suffering of the Jewish people to be weaponized against others.
By Dave Zirin, The Nation
On October 18, several hundred US Jews—along with a few allies—were arrested for sitting in the rotunda of the Capitol building. We chanted, we sang, we dropped banners, and we spoke with a clear message: Stop the war on Gaza; cease the bombing; and end Israel’s war on the Palestinian people, which must no longer be waged in the name of Jews. When we occupied the space, we shed their jackets to reveal identical black T-shirts that read “Not In Our Name” on the front and “Jews Say Cease Fire Now” on the back.

Aided by a melodious shofar, two dozen rabbis spoke about the moral urgency of the moment while thousands of fellow Jews chanted “Cease-fire now!” outside the building. Together, it created a cacophony of righteous trouble in the best tradition of our people. It recalled our ancestors who stood with the oppressed, who helped build the labor movement, and who devoted their lives to anti-racist struggle. For decades, that history often seemed distant. On Wednesday, it felt reborn.
Jewish Voice for Peace organized the rally on just a few days notice, and protesters came ready to be heard. The arresting officers kept asking people if they were going to give up their right to remain silent, and it was as if everyone shouted back, “Hell yeah!”
Recent Posts
Big Demonstration Unwelcomes NATO To The Hague
June 23, 2025
Take Action Now The day before the demonstration in the Hague, hundreds of people gathered for a counter-summit, to discuss strategies for moving…
Zohran Mamdani Is Showing Democrats How To Shape Voter Opinion
June 23, 2025
Take Action Now Polls recorded shifts in NYC residents’ priorities following mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaigning on housing.By Susan…
Bombing Iran Is Part Of The USA’s Repetition Compulsion For War War War
June 22, 2025
Take Action Now More than ever, the United States and Israel are overt partners in what the Nuremberg Tribunal in 1946 called “the supreme…
62 percent Of Democrats Agree Party Leadership Should Be Replaced: Survey
June 20, 2025
Take Action Now The party has found it difficult to build a cohesive message as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been embroiled in…