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Demonstrators stopped traffic on Storrow Drive, calling for an arms embargo to Israel amid escalating violence after the country attacked Lebanon.
Thousands blocked Storrow Drive as part of a pro-Palestine protest that started in the Boston Common, stopped in front of the Israeli Consulate, and marched through downtown Boston on Sunday.
The Boston chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation promoted the protest “One Year of Genocide, One Year of Resistance” at the Common, which started Sunday at 1 p.m. State officials said protestors blocked Storrow near the Hatch Memorial Shell.
The Boston Coalition for Palestine shared videos of the group at Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common, chanting “the people united will never be defeated.” Many wore keffiyeh scarves, held signs calling for an arms embargo and ceasefire, and had flags and posters representing Lebanon.
The protest comes the day before the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. According to local authorities, Israel’s subsequent militarized response in Gaza has killed almost 42,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Israel recently launched attacks against Lebanon and Iran, igniting fears of a regional war.
The Massachusetts State Police said in a statement that troopers were monitoring “a large gathering of demonstrators” who were on Storrow Drive. Troopers were diverting traffic from the area on Sunday evening.
Boston PSL shared a video of the protestors beginning to stop traffic on Storrow Drive, showing many people wearing face masks and scarves, chanting “free Palestine,” and holding hands in front of stopped cars.
“We remain in close coordination with local and state partners to maintain public safety and the constitutional rights of assembly and free speech,” a spokesperson for the State Police said.
Boston police said around 6:30 p.m. that there had been no arrests or incidents within the protest so far. The protestors had moved off of Storrow by around 8 p.m., State Police confirmed.
Jewish Voice for Peace shared videos of a massive group of protestors on Storrow, carrying large Palestinian flags and chanting for “justice.” The group, which describes itself as anti-Zionist Jews organizing against racism and oppression, said it supports an end to violence in Gaza and for an arms embargo to Israel.
Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, and the majority of that is military funding. In a recent aid package passed in congress, about $26 billion was dedicated to Israel, including about $4 billion to replenish Israel’s missile defense system and more than $9 billion to aid humanitarian assistance in Gaza, according to the Associated Press.
The Israeli Consulate in Boston did not return a request for comment.
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