Jewish pro-Palestine protesters calling for ceasefire arrested at Capitol Hill
DoD sounds alarm on China’s ‘coercive and risky’ aerial maneuvers, and the US vetoes a UN resolution calling for a ‘humanitarian pause’ in Israel-Hamas war
Early this morning, we analyzed 752 news articles across 31 outlets and located the primary sources for the most important stories. Here's what's happening in the world today.
Jewish pro-Palestine protesters calling for Israel-Hamas ceasefire arrested at Capitol Hill
A Jewish-led group of protesters entered the Cannon House office building in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which has been subject to Israeli airstrikes since the attack by Hamas militants on October 7.
The protest — organized by the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and IfNotNow — began at noon in front of the Capitol. JVP shared that there were 10,000 protestors outside the Capitol building. It noted that an additional 500 were “inside to demand an end to the Israeli and U.S. government’s genocide in Gaza.” Demonstrators held up large banners that read “Ceasefire” and “Let Gaza Live” inside the Cannon Rotunda.
The protest resulted in road closures and several arrests, with three protesters later charged with “Assault on a Police Officer during processing.” “Demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional Buildings,” the Capitol Police wrote in a post on X. “We warned the protestors to stop demonstrating, and when they did not comply, we began arresting them.”
While there remains no confirmation of exactly how many protestors were arrested, JVP states that “500 Jews were arrested and 10k took to the streets to support and to demand a ceasefire and an end to Palestinian genocide.” “We shut down Congress to draw mass attention to the U.S. complicity in Israel’s ongoing oppression of Palestinians. But our work isn’t done,” the post reads.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush spoke to the crowd of demonstrators before they entered the Capitol. “I wish all the Palestinian people would see this. I wish they could see that not all of America wants them to die. That they are not disposable, that they have a right to live,” said Tlaib, the only current Palestinian-American member of Congress. Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called the protest an “insurrection” in a letter to Capitol Police Chief John Thomas Manger. She requested the Capitol Police to “preserve all video surveillance footage, photographic evidence, police reports, and arrest records from all House Office Buildings on October 18, 2023.”
According to Greene, “By launching an insurrection in the Capitol complex, these actors caused elevators to be shut down, staircases and hallways to be blocked, exits to be made inaccessible, and official legislative business to be obstructed, putting Members of Congress, their staffs and Capitol visits at risk.” Rep. Andy Biggs said the protest should be considered “a clear insurrection according to the J6 Committee,” adding, “Did elected official Rashida Tlaib incite a pro-Hamas crowd to take over the Capitol complex? This event interfered with legislative business and work.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also called for Rashida Tlaib to be censured. She wrote: “After what she did today, I expect even Democrats will join in. She is an Israel-hating America-hating woman who does not represent anything America stands for.”
US Department of Defense sounds alarm on China’s ‘coercive and risky’ aerial maneuvers
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has labeled recent “unsafe interceptions” of U.S. and allied aircraft in international airspace as “a centralized and concerted campaign” by Chinese authorities to “coerce a change in lawful U.S. operational activity.”
According to Ely Ratner, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, Chinese intercepts targeting U.S. and allied aircraft in international airspace are just one facet of a larger pattern of behavior by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which includes “harassing” warships in the East China Sea and the South China Sea as well as conflicts on land with Indian partners. “Since the fall of 2021, we have seen more than 180 such incidents: More in the past two years than in the decade before that,” Ratner said. “That’s nearly 200 cases where PLA operators have performed reckless maneuvers, or discharged chaff, or shot off flares, or approached too rapidly or too close to U.S. aircraft.”
Additionally, the DOD declassified a series of images and videos showcasing 15 recent instances of the PLA’s “coercive and risky operational behavior” against U.S. aircraft lawfully operating in international airspace in the East and South China Sea regions while also highlighting a forthcoming document on “an increasing trend of coercive and risky operational behavior by the PLA since the fall of 2021.”
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning responded to reports of a Canadian surveillance plane’s encounter with a Chinese warplane. She stated the Canadian aircraft had illegally intruded into Chinese airspace near Chiwei Yu, an affiliated island of Diaoyu Dao, on October 14, thus violating China’s sovereignty.
US vetoes UN Security Council resolution calling for a ‘humanitarian pause’ in Israel-Hamas war
On Wednesday, the U.S. vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” in the Israel-Hamas war to allow humanitarian aid access to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticized the measure for failing to mention Israel’s right to self-defense, stating, “Israel has the inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter.” She noted that the right had been reaffirmed by the Council in previous resolutions on terrorist attacks, adding, “This resolution should have done the same.”
Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that the Council must first allow current diplomatic efforts by U.N. Secretary-General Guterres, President Biden, and Secretary Blinken to unfold. She asserted that the Security Council must speak out but should be “informed by facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives — the council needs to get this right.”
The resolution, proposed by Brazil, received 12 of 15 votes in favor, including the approval of two permanent members, China and France. The U.S. opposed the resolution with the “right to veto,” which effectively prevented it from being passed, while Russia and Britain abstained. The Security Council had previously rejected two draft resolutions from Russia Monday that called for “an immediate, durable, and full ceasefire.” Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia remarked that the current Brazil-led draft “has no clear call for a ceasefire” and “will not help to stop the bloodshed.”
The Russian Ambassador noted that Russia proposed a call for a humanitarian ceasefire and to end indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza in its two amendments. “If these are not included in the current draft, it would not help to address the human situation in Gaza and polarize positions of the international community,” he said.
House ends second day of voting with no Speaker elected
The U.S. House of Representatives concluded Wednesday’s proceedings without a new Speaker as Reps. Jim Jordan and Hakeem Jeffries fell short of claiming a majority in the second round of voting after a similar result on Tuesday. As in Tuesday’s vote, Jeffries saw the full support of House Democrats with ‘yeas’ from all 212, but without Republican support, he failed to reach the 217 votes required to be named Speaker.
Meanwhile, the majority of House Republicans reiterated their support for Jordan, with 199 yeas. However, 22 of the 221 members deviated from the rest and instead voiced support for Scalise (7 votes), McCarthy (5), Zeldin (3), Donalds (1), Emmer (1), Mike Garcia (1), Boehner (1), Granger (1), Westerman (1), and Candice Miller (1). This result saw Jordan receiving one fewer vote than in the first round.
Posting on X, Jeffries called for a bipartisan solution, stating, “The time has come for House Republicans to reject extremism and embrace bipartisanship.” He added: “The majority has nominated a Speaker candidate who is the poster child for MAGA extremism and dangerous conspiracy theories. It’s time for them to get real, end the Republican Civil War, and join House Democrats in a bipartisan path forward.”
Jordan also took to social media to say: “We must stop attacking each other and come together. There’s too much at stake. Let’s get back to working on the crisis at the southern border, inflation, and helping Israel.”
The next House meeting is set to begin at noon ET today (Thursday, Oct 19).
Quote of the day
“What happened was that the Canadian side has sent warplanes halfway around the world to stir up trouble and make provocations at China’s doorsteps. The Chinese side responded to the situation in accordance with laws and regulations. The Canadian side should respect the facts and stop spreading disinformation”
- China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning