Pro-Palestinian protesters block downtown Raleigh street to demand ceasefire

A week after pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic on N.C. 147 in Durham, a group briefly shut down a block-long section of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh on Thursday.

The crowd of about 300 people chanted in English and Arabic, “The people demand a ceasefire now!”

The protest started at Moore Square before marchers headed to the office of U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross to demand she sign a cease-fire resolution in Congress.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Ross released a statement saying: “I strongly condemn the appalling attack on Israel by Hamas. I stand firmly with the Israeli people and support their right to defend themselves against this outrageous assault.”

Death toll in Israel-Hamas war

Protesters gathered on the steps of the Federal Building and spilled out onto Fayetteville Street. The section of Fayetteville between Davie and Martin streets was blocked off by protesters and Raleigh police for less than an hour.

Some demonstrators held up signs reading “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Others waved the Palestinian flag, its red, white, green and black colors standing out against the blue sky above.

Protesters then marched back to Moore Square, bringing a cacophony of anti-war, pro-ceasefire chants with them.

No one at the protest was arrested, despite the heavy police presence.

Calls for a ceasefire are mounting. The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 10,000, after about 1,400 people in Israel were killed in the October attack by Hamas that started the fighting, The Associated Press has reported.

This story was originally published November 9, 2023 at 1:02 PM.