Iron Snowflake

On the 18th of October, capping an already busy day of protest against the Israeli war on Gaza, protesters infuriated by the bombed hospital the day before and reported bombing of a US school as well as the total siege and air assault on Gaza crammed the street in front of the Israeli Embassy. The name of US President Joe Biden was greeted with a chorus of boos after his trip to Israel. He was charged by speakers with making this effectively a joint US/Israeli war on all Palestinians.

On the 18th of October, Jewish activists notably including Jewish Voice for Peace chanted “Never Again!” and “Cease Fire Now!” as they marched up Capitol Hill to the Longworth and Cannon House Office Buildings. Marjorie Tayler Greene called these peaceful protesters insurrectionists. There was civil disobedience inside the Cannon Building but no violence thus no insurrection.

She should know after serving as a 5th columnist for a real insurrection on Jan 6 2021…

On the 17th of October, a bomb hit a hospital in Gaza City, one estimate for the number of dead was 900 people many of them children. As night fell in Washington and Biden was on a plane to Israel, furious protesters gathered at the White House to denounce the brutal war in Gaza. This protest was one of a great many held around the world.

Background: while Israeli media and the IDF are claiming a misfired rocket out of a large barrage fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad hit the hospital, there are reports Israel initially took credit for the blast claiming Hamas targets were at the site before hurredly retracting the claim. To destroy a hospital and kill so many people seems to be a LOT of damage for a warhead similar in explosive power to an antitank mine. Historically most Quassam rockets have carried relatively small 35 kilogram warheads. This seems even more unlikely give Israel is claiming the alleged misfired rocket hit the parking lot. On the other hand, a 500 pound air dropped bomb (14 times as much explosive) could do this with ease, probably even from the parking lot and certainly with a direct hit. Gaza’s health ministry flatly stated an Israeli air strike caused the blast. Investigation continues as this is reported though.

One thing is certain however: with no occupation and long term siege of Gaza there would have been no war, and with no war the hospital would not have been bombed no matter where the projectile came from.

This story will be updated as investigation continues into the Gaza hospital bombing. If Israel is proven beyond all doubt to be guilty there will surely be hell to pay. With the US and Iran each warning the other to stay out, it seems likely more countries will be drawn into the war, and the whole mess stinks of August 1914, the start of WWI.

On the 16th of October, IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace marched on the White House with an estimated 1,000 protesters or more. On reaching the White House, they divided into multiple units. Each unit took on a separate White House entrance. At one point 13 simultanious blockades were reported. There are only 5 vehicle exists and all were blocked.Demands of the protest were an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to the siege.

At around 4:30 PM, police warnings to remove blockades or face arrest were dealt with at one blockade by exiting the driveway into the White House compound, only to redeploy into a street blockade. A police line seeking to defeat closing this “inverse kettle” of White House traffic was defeated by a running charge, and an effective blockade re-established.

At 5:30PM the siege was lifted-so that protesters could march on and disrupt with noise a 6PM White House press conference. While the drummers were setting up on the West side of Lafayette Park, other protesters noticed that Penn Ave had been blocked off by cops after the protest blockades were lifted. Possibly as a distraction to help the drummers set up, possibly to force arrests that the press pays attention to, they hurdled the fences and several got across. This in spite of considerable police roughness and some police violence.

At 7PM a day that began at Noon was finally over-until next time. Various corporate news media have reported between 30 and 50 arrests

Friday the 13th was the DC Bike Party’s Halloween Ride. Hundreds of riders took to the streets, some bikes were brilliantly lit up and several mobile sound systems were part of the rid

On the 14th of October, thousands marched through downtown DC demanding an immediate cease-fire and an end to the siege of Gaza. There was no sign of counterprotesters. Unlike in previous wars in Palestine, and unlike the situation in Florida, it appears this time around DC’s supporters of Israel are avoiding confrontations with protesters.

All reportbacks on Birdchan (AKA twitter AKA X) indicate no confrontations and no sign of counterprotesters. No signs of such seen there by this reporter either. Note that #GazaGenocide had been trending on Birdchan before it “mysteriously” disappeared thanks no doubt to Elon Musk.

On the evening of Oct 13, as part of a global day of action for Gaza, protesters gathered at the offices of the Washington Post in Washington DC. Speakers and chants called out the warmongering Washington Post in particular and US corporate media in general for promoting outright genocide in Gaza.

This the day after Israel “warned” Palestinians to evacuate the northern half of Gaza-and them with no way out of that area proceeding with a furious blizzard of aerial bombing.

For many years it was said that all Washington Post reporting on Palestine originated in the Israeli Embassy. It was also said in the same time period that their reporting on Northern Ireland came from the British Embassy.

On the 10th of October, the IfNotNow movement held a Jewish mourner’s Kaddish for the victims of the latest war in Gaza-without regard to nationality.

Sickened by the brutality of this war, they called out the Israeli government and decades of settlement for putting Israel on the path that led to this war. They reminded those in earshot that there are no air raid sirens (and no Iron Dome) in Gaza.Speakers flatly called out apartheid and settlement as the root causes of this war

On the 8th of October, a major Palestinian march took to the streets of DC. Speakers explictly endorsed all-out resistance to Israel’s occupation. One chant was “They’ve got tanks, we’ve got hang gliders-glory to all resistance fighters!” One speaker said the brutal day to day oppression experienced by residents of Gaza made this war absolutely inevitable.

The march from the White House to the State Dept missed coming within easy scout detection range of a “Stand with Israel” rally at the Lincoln Memorial by 20 minutes. It was reported that cops told them to wrap up in a hurry and get out of there.

Had the two sides clashed, a substantial street battle would have been possible given the events in Ft Lauderdale as well as those in Gaza. This would have effectively represented an extension of the fighting in Gaza to the streets of Washington DC. Apparently the civilians at the pro-Israel march were not up for such a battle and quite sensibly withdrew to keep the peace.

While a lot of PSL signs were seen at the march, the main organizers were apparently from the Palestinian community in the DC area.

Gaza has been compared to an open-air prison, thus this rebellion has some of the aspects of a prison uprising. However this war started, it is clear that Gaza is now fighting for their very existance. Israel’s Cabinet secretary is claiming this will be the last war between Israel and Gaza, which implies intention of an absolute wipeout. All war planning inside Gaza will have to take this into account.

Here in DC, this had the feel of “here we go-back in the same old trenches” but this time around is likely to be an entirely different and much nastier war.

Elsewere in the so-called US, there was reported fighting between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters in Ft lauderdale, FL and in Washington state.

On Oct 7, the “men’s march” for fetal personhood received a humiliating defeat. Thier turnout of only dozens was sorrounded by abortion rights protesters with bullhorns and a sound cart, and almost completely drowned out.

They then linked up with the larger “Rosary Coast to Coast” march only to be drowned out again when they reached the US Capitol. Their stage was right at the edge of their permit zone, allowing counterprotesters to set up their sound system so close the enemy microphones could not be adjusted not to pick it up yet still be fully effective.

The religious extremists were more numerous, but their sound systems were totally outgunned.