Protesters in Des Moines call for permanent ceasefire in Gaza, more aid to Palestinians

About 100 people gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Neal Smith Federal Building, urging state and national government officials to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The rally in downtown Des Moines, organized by the Catholic Peace Ministry and the local chapter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), comes amid a surge of pro-Palestinian protests sweeping the nation's college campuses, including two of Iowa's major public institutions.

Last week, residents joined students on the Iowa State University campus and called on the institution to cut its ties to Collins Aerospace, a weapons manufacturer in Iowa that produces weapons provided to Israel. A three-day demonstration touting similar messages was also held at the University of Iowa.

On Thursday, protesters demanded officials stop voting for military aid to Israel and start prioritizing humanitarian relief aid to Palestinians, who they say are disproportionately affected by the Israel-Hamas war. They held up signs that read "stop the genocide" and "complicity is murder," directly calling out U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and yelling: "How many kids did you kill today?"

Of the 34,151 Palestinians killed in Gaza, 14,685 are children and 9,670 are women, the United Nations reported last month. Another 77,084 have been injured and more than 7,000 are assumed to be under the rubble, the U.N. also stated.

Des Moines Register reporters observed several law enforcement agents, including two Des Moines police officers, who stood outside the building near rallygoers and Department of Homeland Security officers who were in the building posted by the front entrance.

A group of about 10 to 15 protesters made their way inside the federal building on 210 Walnut St. to present their demands to congressional staff and a list of the names of the thousands of Palestinian children who have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza. Luke Clausen, who works with CPM, told the Des Moines Register he and others spoke with two representatives from Grassley and Ernst's offices but still felt unheard.

Clausen said he believed any argument made against providing support and assistance to "the people who need it the most" are just "cruel."

The group, he says, moved to split up, with half heading upstairs to occupy the senators' offices while the other half remained downstairs. Clausen said he was among the protesters in the group that was detained by federal officers and issued a citation for disturbing the peace. They came at 5 p.m., which is when the offices close for the day, he added. Officers warned protesters that they could be arrested for trespassing if they enter the building again, said Kathleen McQuillen, another CPM member who joined Clausen and others inside.

McQuillen, who hung out in the building lobby, held up a sign on a glass window, telling demonstrators that they "won't leave" until the senators call for a ceasefire.

"We are letting people who don't live in reality — a.k.a. Congress — control how we express ourselves," Clausen told reporters after he was released by officers and walked out of the building.

Also at the rally, moments of silence were held to honor the children who have been killed by Israeli attacks in between songs and chants. Drivers who passed the federal building and honked their horns in solidarity with protesters were met with loud cheers, claps and clinking of musical instruments.

Before heading into the building, protester Samantha Carey stood in the crowd, holding the list of youth's names in her hands. Carey said she came to show support for the hundreds of grieving families whose children have been killed in Gaza and the children who have lost loved ones and are now orphans.

"This is important to humanity," she said.

Last month, President Joe Biden signed into law a $95 billion foreign aid package where about 27% of the proposed budget will go toward supporting Israel and restocking its missile defense systems and providing humanitarian relief for people in Gaza. Biden has paused the shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel over concerns they could be used in a major military operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million refugees have been sheltering.

Editor's note: A previously published version of this story misstated the percentage of the foreign aid package dedicated to supporting Israel and humanitarian relief for people in Gaza. About 27% of the package supports Israel, including restocking missile defense and providing humanitarian relief for Gaza.

USA Today and Celia Brocker contributed to this report.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Protesters gather in downtown Des Moines, call for ceasefire in Gaza