Jews demanding cease-fire in Gaza occupy Oakland federal building. Hundreds are arrested

Hundreds of people joined the Jewish-organized sit-in Monday at a federal building in Oakland to demand a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. In Oakland on Monday, organizers with the two Jewish organizations that led the sit-in — IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace — called on President Biden to support a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli’s military offensive over the last few weeks has killed more than 11,000 people, thousands of them children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. “We have been horrified by the murders of Israelis on Oct. 7 and we continue to be horrified by murders of over 11,000 Palestinians in the past month.” Many demonstrators at Monday’s sit-in wore shirts reading “Jews say cease fire now” and “Not in our name,” some holding signs reading “Let Gaza live,” while joining in song, chants and dance, photos and videos from the rally show. Guns and bombs will not bring freedom or safety for either Palestinians or Israelis,” Bay Area organizers of IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace wrote in a joint statement on Instagram, noting that they are “Jews who refuse to let the Israeli government perpetrate unspeakable violence in our name.” IfNotNow describes itself as a group of American Jews dedicated to the end of “U.S. The Jewish organizations called on the president and vice president to “follow the lead” of Rep. Barbara Lee, an Oakland Democrat in Congress who has been calling for a cease-fire since the war began.