DC Mayor Calls in National Guard for March for Israel
National Guard troops are expected on the scene of a planned pro-Israel demonstration in Washington.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a Monday news conference that the service members would assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department during Tuesday’s March for Israel, according to The Hill.
Bowser didn’t point to any specific public safety threat that would justify activation of the National Guard, although she indicated authorities were expecting tens of thousands to participate.
“We expect a large gathering,” she said.
Demonstrators are expected to arrive on buses from across the country to participate.
“We are paying attention to numbers of buses that are coming … I think we can expect in the tens of thousands of people,” Bowser said.
Guard members will assist in ensuring an orderly flow of traffic and pedestrians, according to WTTG-TV in Washington.
Department of Homeland Security officials are eyeing the event as a potential target for terrorism.
The rally has been designated a “Level 1” security event in the eyes of the agency — a categorization that puts it on par with the Super Bowl, according to ABC News.
According to the DHS, the designation requires “significant national and/or international importance that it may require extensive federal interagency security and incident management preparedness” on the part of the federal government, ABC reported.
Multiple American Jewish organizations are involved in the event.
It begins.
Thousands of Jews show up in Washington DC for the march, but first? A collective meeting with the CEO. They pray to their Creator.
Not too difficult to spot the difference between pro Israel marches and Pro Palestinian marches. pic.twitter.com/iy0E4Q95RJ
— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) November 14, 2023
Supporters of the demonstration are billing it as a march in support of Israel, for the liberation of hostages taken captive by the terrorist group Hamas, and against anti-Semitism.
March for Israel. March to free the hostages. March against antisemitism. Join us in Washington, DC on Nov. 14. https://t.co/hKZHTO2chd #MarchForIsrael pic.twitter.com/vLz4wZzpSr
— The Jewish Federations of North America (@jfederations) November 7, 2023
The event is taking place as Israel continues its month-long war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip stemming from the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in southern Israel.
Attached is documentation from the activities of the combat team fighters of the 7th Brigade in the Gaza Strip: pic.twitter.com/2KJbjjxIr1
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) November 14, 2023
The event, actually a rally rather than a “march,” despite its name, according to The Hill, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on the National Mall, WTTG reported.
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