Pro-Palestinian Rally in Washington Seeks End to US Aid to Israel

WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 people rallied Saturday in Washington in support of Palestinians and called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

The demonstration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial came as a cease-fire that ended 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip has held. "We are hoping to send a clear message to the United States government that the days of supporting the Israeli state without repercussions are over," one of the demonstrators, 39-year-old Washington lawyer Sharif Silmi, said as he stood in the crowd where many protesters held red, white, green and black Palestinian flags. "We will stand against any politician that continues to fund weapons to Israel. We will oppose them, we will vote against them, we will fund their opponents, until we vote them out of office," Silmi said.