Gaza cease-fire protesters arrested after shutting down part of downtown Raleigh street

Police arrested 26 people Thursday after a group of demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war blocked part of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.

Police asked drivers and pedestrians to find other ways around the courthouse area where dozens of people staged a “die-in,” lying down in the street around 4:30 p.m.

Police told the demonstrators to disperse before making arrests, the Raleigh Police Department stated in a release Thursday night. The road was reopened by 6:30 p.m.

One person was charged with assault on a police officer, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.

The rally, organized by the Triangle branch of Jewish Voice for Peace, was aimed at getting U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross to support a cease-fire resolution in the war in Gaza. Jewish Voice for Peace has previously delivered letters to Ross and pushed for her support.

”History will remember this moment, where Rep. Ross faced a choice between taking a stand to prevent the total ethnic cleansing of Gaza and calling for a cease-fire,” Jewish Voice for Peace said in a statement. “She must choose: ceasefire or genocide.”

In a statement, Ross declared her support for her constituents’ right to peacefully protest and expressed appreciation for the Raleigh Police Department.

“The President and top Biden administration officials are working tirelessly to negotiate a 6-week suspension of fighting in Gaza and secure the release of hostages as a first step towards the long-term cessation of violence,” Ross said. “ I continue to strongly support a two-state solution without the detrimental influence of Hamas as the only viable means of achieving a peaceful and prosperous future for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.”

She said that Congress should pass a bipartisan agreement that includes funding for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza.

The war has claimed over 29,000 Palestinians’ lives, a majority of them women and children who were killed by Israeli strikes.

Israel has continued to bomb Gaza to fight the Hamas militant group in response to the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel by Hamas that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took dozens more hostage.

“The Raleigh Police Department values the right to peacefully demonstrate,” Police Chief Estella Patterson said in Thursday night’s release. “However, disruptive, unlawful, or other actions that threaten the safety of the community will not be tolerated nor condoned.”

“I am proud of our officers who demonstrated patience and professionalism during this incident,” she added.

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra contributed to this report.

This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 5:32 PM.