Protesters gather outside Pullman Yards ahead of Biden rally
Several protestors, most of them affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, gathered near Pullman Yards ahead of President Joe Biden’s rally.
Monica Johnson of Clayton County was just one of those protesters standing at the corner of Hosea Williams Drive and Rogers Street protesting Biden’s approach to the war between Hamas and Israel.
“We are here because Joe Biden should know that the masses of people do not support his actions in Palestine,” she said.
Biden has faced criticism this year — particularly among his base supporters — over his staunch backing for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. He had initially hoped a short-term cease-fire would be in place by his State of the Union speech Thursday night to allow for the release of more hostages and increase aid into the territory, according to the Associated Press.
While waiting to get inside the event, Matthews Collins of Albany, New York, called the war in Gaza his top priority, but said he mostly liked what he heard from Biden on Thursday night on the issue, as he announced new plans to send aid to Gaza.
“I’m pleased, but I think he should go a little further,” Collins said.
About the Authors
Michael E. Kanell, the AJC's economics writer, has been reporting on jobs, housing and the economy at the AJC for nearly two decades. He has appeared on television and radio to analyze and report on business and economic developments.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
