Washington, D.C

Calls for a Cease-Fire—But Then What?

Published

7 months ago

October 22, 2023

The protest began with a prayer. Several thousand Muslims knelt in rows before the Capitol building yesterday afternoon, their knees resting on the woven rugs they’d brought from home. Women here and men over there, with onlookers to the side. Seen from the Speaker’s Balcony, this ranked congregation would have looked like colorful stripes spanning the grassy width of the National Mall.

“We are witnessing, before our eyes, the slaughter of thousands of people on our streets,” Omar Suleiman, the imam who led the prayer, had said beforehand. “We are witnesses to the cruelty that has been inflicted upon our brothers and sisters in Palestine on a regular basis.”

The prayer group was part of a demonstration hosted by more than a dozen self-described progressive and religious organizations to call for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire. After Hamas massacred more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, in its October 7 attack, Israeli bombardments of Gaza have reportedly killed more than 4,000 Palestinians, the great majority of whom were also civilians.

Peter Wehner: The inflection point

Although the protest’s organizers spanned a broad spectrum of faiths and group affiliations, it appeared that most of the rally attendees were Muslim, judging by the sea of multicolored head scarves and traditional dress. But progressives of other faiths were there, too, waving the red, white, and green flag of Palestine. Rally-goers called for President Joe Biden and the United States to stop supporting Israel’s blockade and air assault on Gaza. (The first convoy of trucks carrying aid entered Gaza through Egypt this morning, the United Nations reported.) As I moved through the crowd, we heard speeches from Gazan expats and representatives of progressive groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace, the Movement for Black Lives, the Working Families Party, and the Center for Popular Democracy.

“Enough is enough,” Alpijani Hussein, a Sudanese American government employee who wore a long white tunic, told me. He and a friend carried a banner reading BIDEN GENOCIDE. Every time Hussein, a father of four, sees coverage of children killed in Gaza, he told me, he imagines his own kids wrapped in body bags. “I’m a father,” he said. “I can feel the pain.”

For nearly two weeks, the world has watched, transfixed, as a litany of horrors from the Middle East has unspooled before our eyes. First, the footage from October 7: the tiny towns on the edge of the desert, bullet-riddled and burning. Parents shot, their hands tied. Women driven off on motorcycles and in trucks. The woman whose pants were drenched in blood. And approximately 200 people—including toddlers, teenagers, grandparents—stolen away and still being held hostage.

Then, more death, this time in Gaza. The body of a boy, gray with ash. Rubble and rebar from collapsed concrete buildings or their ghostly shells. TikTok diaries from teenagers with phones powered by backup generators. “They’re bombing us now,” the teens explain, somehow sounding calm. Almost half of Gaza’s population are under 18; all they have known is Hamas rule—the Islamist group took over in 2007—and a series of similar conflicts. A barrage of rockets fired by Hamas and other militants; a wave of air strikes from Israel.

But this time is different: Israel has never been wounded this way—October 7 represented the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust—and over the protest hung a frantic sense that the vengeance had only just begun. Hackles were up and, at one point, a police car drove by, sirens blaring. Two women near me clutched each other nervously, but the officer drove on without stopping.

Conor Friedersdorf: A collection of narratives on the Israel-Hamas war

Inside the Capitol, a plain consensus prevailed: Many members of Congress from both parties have opposed a cease-fire and expressed strong support for the U.S. providing military aid to Israel. But outside, things weren’t so simple; they never are. None of the people I met said they supported Hamas, and certainly not the recent atrocities. But many said that the violence cuts both ways. “Israel is a terrorist country in my eyes—what they’ve been doing to the Palestinians,” Ramana Rashid, from Northern Virginia, told me. Nearby, people held placards reading ISRAEL=COLONIZERS and ZIONISM=OPPRESSION. Many protesters told me they did not believe that Israel has a right to exist. At various points in the protest, the crowd broke into the chant “Palestine will be free! From the river to the sea!” (Whatever that slogan might mean for protesters—an anti-colonial statement or an assertion of homeland—for most Israelis it is clearly denying the Jewish state’s right to exist.)

“A cease-fire is the minimum to save lives,” a D.C. resident named Mikayla, who declined to give her last name, told me. “But what we really need is an end to the occupation.” Leaning against her bike, she shook her head no when I asked whether Egypt should open its doors to fleeing Palestinians. “If Egypt lets Gazans leave the Gaza Strip, then that is the definition of ethnic cleansing,” Mikayla said.

Other protesters I spoke with expressed concern only for ending the daily suffering of Gazans. The humanitarian crisis came first; the rest, the political stuff, would come later.

Sheeba Massood, who’d come with her friend Rashid from Northern Virginia, burst into tears when I asked why she’d wanted to attend. It was important to pray together, she told me. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Muslim, if you’re Palestinian, if you’re a Christian, if you’re Jewish,” Massood said, “we are all witnessing the killing of all of these children that are innocent.” Everything else, she said, was politics.

When I asked the demonstrators what might happen in the region, practically, after a cease-fire was enforced, most of them demurred. “I’m not a politician to know all the details and technicalities of it,” a Virginia man named Shoaib told me. “But I think just for one horrible thing, you don’t just go kill innocent kids.”

Every person I met was angry with Biden. The president has been unwavering in his support for Israel since October 7, and in an Oval Office address on Thursday, he reiterated his case for requesting funds from Congress for military aid to Israel. That same day, a senior State Department official resigned over the administration’s decision to keep sending weapons to Israel without humanitarian conditions.

Read: Around the world, demonstrations of support, grief, and anger

In his remarks on Thursday, Biden spoke of the need for Americans to oppose anti-Semitism and Islamophobia equally. Friday’s demonstrators, so many of whom were Muslim Americans, were not impressed with that evenhandedness.

“Mr. President, you have failed the test,” Osama Abu Irshaid, the executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, said from the podium outside of the Capitol. Ice-cream trucks parked nearby for tourists played jingles softly as he spoke. “You broke your promise to restore America’s moral authority.” Frankie Seabron, from the Black-led community group Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, led the crowd in chants of “Shame” directed at Biden. “This is a battle against oppression,” she said. “We as Black Americans can understand!” The crowd, which was beginning to thin, cheered its agreement.

As is generally the case, the program went on far too long. After two hours of speeches, the enthusiasm of an already thinned-out crowd was waning. The temperature dropped and raindrops fell, gently at first, then steadily. Finally, after organizers distributed blood-red carnations to every rally-goer, the group began the trek to the president’s house.

The demonstrators marched slowly at first up Pennsylvania Avenue, struggling with their banners in the driving rain. But as the remaining protesters got closer to the White House, the rain paused, and the sun peeked through the dark clouds. The protesters laid their flowers in the square before the White House gates—an offering and a demand for a different future for Gaza.

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Washington, D.C

Melbourne Police Honor Guard Attend Annual Police Officer Memorial Week in Washington DC – Space Coast Daily

Published

5 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Melbourne Police Honor Guard Attend Annual Police Officer Memorial Week in Washington DC – Space Coast Daily

public SERVICE SPOTLIGHT

Melbourne Police Department Honor Guard Officer McKinney and Officer Lopez attended the Annual Police Officer Memorial Week at the United States Capitol. (Melbourne PD image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Melbourne Police Department Honor Guard’s Officer McKinney and Officer Lopez attended the Annual Police Officer Memorial Week at the United States Capitol.

The honor guards attended the arrival of the Unity Bicycle Tour at the National Police Memorial.

They visited Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

They also attended the Annual Candle Light Vigil where they participated in the Cordon Team and escorted family members of fallen officers to the Candlelight Vigil.

Finally, they were so honored to be a part of the Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service where the keynote speaker was President Joe Biden.

Melbourne Police Department Honor Guard’s Officer McKinney and Officer Lopez attended the Annual Police Officer Memorial Week at the United States Capitol. (Melbourne PD image)

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Washington, D.C

11 Fun Ways to Get on the Water This Summer

Published

12 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Press Room

11 Fun Ways to Get on the Water This Summer

Whitlow’s on Water is the biggest boat in Sea Suite Cruises’ fleet. Photograph by Jack Walten.

All aboard! A great way to take in the views of DC’s majestic monuments and landmarks is on a boat adventure. Here’s a list of fun water trips to add to your summer plans:

Go hydro biking

Potomac Ave., SE and 710 Wharf St., SW

Boating in DC offers a unique experience: biking on the water while balancing on two floating rafts. The “hydro bikes” are stable pontoon bikes that can be rented at the Wharf Boathouse, and, starting on May 18, at Ballpark Boathouse in Navy Yard (Fri-Sun through October, $26+).

Picnic on a boat

970 Wharf St., SW

goboat, photo by Lavert Philip - Washingtonian — GoBoat’s electric cruisers have a table for guests to dine on. Photograph by Lavert Philip.

Sail across the Washington Channel—no boating license necessary—in a GoBoat you can rent at the Wharf. The electric boats travel at a speed of about three to four miles an hour, so you can do a leisurely cruise while sightseeing with friends. GoBoats carry up to eight passengers—including pets, for an additional fee. On this ride you are the captain, and are welcome to bring food and drinks (daily, $168+).

Explore on a paddleboard

Multiple locations in DC and Virginia

Test your balance and paddling skills on a standup paddleboard; you can find rentals throughout the area. Just south of Alexandria, paddlers can explore Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, the largest freshwater tidal wetlands near DC, with paddleboards rented from Belle Haven Marina. Boating in DC also rents boards in Georgetown, the Wharf, Alexandria, and Fletcher’s Cove (daily, $16+ for Boating in DC rentals, $30+ for Belle Haven Marina).

Sail on a historic ship

201 N. Union St., Alexandria

Travel back in time to the 18th century aboard the Tall Ship Providence, docked in Alexandria. History guides dressed in period garb talk about the life of sailors in the Revolutionary War. The floating classroom offers dockside tours, sunset cruises, and tasting journeys on the water ($55+ for daily sunset cruises, Wed-Mon; $24 for dockside tours; $76 select dates for tasting journeys).

Party with friends

Multiple locations in DC

Partners Jack Walten and Jack Maher aboard their Potomac Paddle Pub. Photo courtesy Potomac Paddle.

Choose a starting point—DC’s Wharf, Georgetown, or Navy Yard—and invite some friends to pedal across DC waters on a Potomac Paddle Club pontoon. There are 10 cycling stations for guests to get active while passing by sites such as the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and Pentagon. Boats can accommodate between 16 to 20 people, and are equipped with coolers, USB charging stations, Bluetooth speakers, and a motor if you prefer not to pedal; you can bring your own beverages aboard, too (daily, $35+).

Go on a Classic DC Outing

1501 Maine Ave., SW

Prepare to move your feet on the Tidal Basin’s pedal-powered, four-passenger boats. Boating in DC offers one-hour rentals for this classic DC experience (daily, $38 on weekdays, $40 on weekends and holidays).

Take a culinary cruise

970 Wharf St., SW

Upgrade your boating experience this summer on a yacht. Nautiste— a woman-owned yacht-charter company—launched last year. It offers three options for a luxe water journey: two motor yachts, the 72-foot Patriot and the more intimate 42-foot Independence, as well as the Cru Classé, a 47-foot French sailing yacht. The fleet ports at the Wharf. There are options to add dining experiences such as champagne and oyster tastings, or charcuterie spreads, for an additional price (private bookings, prices vary).

Throw a tiki party

3100 K St., NW and 355 Water St., SE

AVO_4820 - Washingtonian — Guests can float by DC’s monuments on a Potomac Tiki Club cruise. Photograph by Adam Olsen, courtesy of Potomac Tiki Club.

If you’re looking for a booze cruise, Potomac Tiki Club has you covered. These Potomac River explorations feature a tiki bar where guests can purchase drinks; guests can also sip beverages they packed from home. There are two boats to choose from: a smaller boat that fits up to six people and leaves from Navy Yard, and a larger boat departing from Georgetown that fits eight to 18 people (daily, $45+ for Georgetown cruises, $350+ for Navy Yard).

Visit a local bar on a boat

3100 K St., NW and 1492 4th St., SE

The local bar Whitlow’s recently launched a 48-passenger tiki boat cruise in collaboration with Sea Suite Cruises. Whitlow’s on Water— which has televisions, music, and an open-air bar mixing up summery drinks—sails the Potomac River. The boat is also available for private charters (daily, $40+, Georgetown, Navy Yard). (Here’s more.)

Paddle the Anacostia River

4601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg

Spend some time exploring a quiet stretch of the Anacostia River by yourself in a single kayak, or take a serene canoe trip. Rentals can be booked from Bladensburg Waterfront Park through October (daily, $25+ for Prince George’s and Montgomery County residents, $33+ for non-residents).

Enjoy sunset views

3000 K St., NW and 580 Water St., SW

Capitol River Cruises and City Cruises are great boat options for sunset tours, date-night dining, and monument sightseeing around DC. On City Cruises, you can have a three-course meal and dance to a live DJ while overlooking the Potomac; on special occasions there are firework shows, too. Capitol River Cruises ship out around 8 PM for 45-minute journeys past the Kennedy Center, the Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial (daily, $25+ for Capitol River Cruises; daily, $52+ for City Cruises).

Voyage to Mount Vernon

145 National Plaza, National Harbor; 0 Cameron St., Alexandria

Tickets will be available soon for this experience that includes spending time at historic Mount Vernon. First, patrons cruise to George Washington’s former estate by way of a water taxi, which departs from Alexandria and National Harbor. On-board guides provide narration as guests pass sites such as Fort Washington. After the boat ride, passengers have three hours to tour Mount Vernon before the boat ride back (schedule TBA, $56+).

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.

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Washington, D.C

18 Dems vote in favor of GOP-led bill cracking down on DC crime

Published

19 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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18 Dems vote in favor of GOP-led bill cracking down on DC crime

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A House Republican-led bill aimed at overhauling Washington, D.C.’s criminal policies passed with the support of 18 Democrats on Wednesday evening.

It is a sign that crime in the nation’s capital has been an increasingly urgent issue for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Byron Donalds’ D.C. Criminal Reform to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (DC CRIMES) Act would impose specific changes targeting how juveniles and young adults are prosecuted.

The bill passed the House by a 225 to 181 vote, with only Democratic lawmakers opposed.

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Rep. Byron Donalds’ crime bill earned the support of several Democrats, including Rep. Jared Moskowitz, right. (Getty Images)

Democrats who supported the bill include Reps. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Pat Ryan, D-N.Y.; Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Jared Golden, D-Maine; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.; and Angie Craig, D-Minn.; among others.

Donalds, R-Fla., said in a statement after its passage, “Our nation’s capital is experiencing a historic crime wave as a result of progressive, soft-on-crime policy. This man-made public safety crisis is unacceptable. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the District of Columbia and it is imperative that we act quickly to assert our control when local government fails to do its job. The American people deserve a safe capital city and I will not stand idly-by as it descends into chaos.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly blamed Democratic policies for fueling the city’s crime issues.

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Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., introduced the DC CRIMES Act, which passed on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies have significantly changed policing across the country – and some of the worst consequences can been seen in our nation’s capital,” Johnson’s statement read. “Congress has a responsibility to act in the interest of the District of Columbia.”

It is not the first time since the beginning of 2023 that Congress has stepped in to exercise its authority over the capital to crack down on crime.

Last March, both the House and Senate passed a GOP-led resolution overturning the city council’s proposed overhaul of the Washington, D.C., criminal code that would have drastically reduced minimum sentences for armed carjackings and expanded the right to jury trials, which critics say would have caused unnecessary delays.

Donalds’ bill would lower the age classifying “youths” from under 25 to under 18. The classification gives Washington, D.C., courts more flexibility in issuing sentences for crimes committed.

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Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., is one of the 18 Democrats who voted for the bill. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It would prevent the courts from handing down sentences under the minimum statutory requirements for youth offenders, and stop Washington, D.C.’s progressive city council from changing what those requirements are.

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The bill would also require the Washington, D.C., attorney general to keep the public better informed on youth and juvenile crime rates by creating a public website where statistics are readily available.

According to a year-to-date crime comparison provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, homicides in the nation’s capital rose 35% from 2022 to 2023, with the overall rate of violent crime climbing 39%. Robberies increased by 67%, while instances of motor vehicle theft have climbed 82%.

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