HARTFORD, CT – Protests erupted throughout the state Capitol Wednesday, calling for a ceasefire in the months-long conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The CT Palestine Solidarity Coalition, an umbrella group that covers 17 organizations across the state, brought over 50 protesters to the state capitol’s lobby during Gov. Ned Lamont’s state-of-the-state address. Their thunderous calls in the lobby for a ceasefire could be heard throughout the capitol.
About 15 minutes later, protests broke out inside the gallery of the House chamber, with protesters chanting “Ceasefire now” as the governor delivered his address. When the chants began, Lamont took a seat and waited for them to end. When he resumed the speech he called the protests “disrespectful to the audience,” and received applause.
The protesters were forced out into the parking lot where they marched to the front of the capitol and continued their protests.
Miranda Rector Cohen of Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven, one of the groups under the Coalition umbrella, said that Connecticut has a stake in the latest Middle Eastern war, and that the state is currently on the wrong side.
“Connecticut has Palestinian community members who have lost friends and family members in the war,” she said. “Connecticut and the US government have power on this issue, and Connecticut’s residents are speaking up to say that we should leverage that power to end the destruction of Gaza.”
The Palestine Solidarity Coalition is demanding that the governor and legislature call for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, as well as divest from Israeli bonds and companies. They are also calling for an end to tax incentives for companies that produce weapons used in Gaza, and a reinstatement of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) funding.
“I’m a Jewish American and a person with a conscience. I can’t stand by while 27,000 people are killed in the name of Jewish safety.”
The current conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas, which is the de facto ruling party in Gaza but considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel, launched a multifaceted attack into Israel that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and others, including Americans. In response, Israel launched a sustained air campaign, accompanied by ground forces, that has led to the deaths of over 27,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza.
The region has been on the brink of war ever since, with sporadic exchanges of fire occurring from Iran to Pakistan. Many fear that the potential for a regional war still exists, even as Israel has slowed down the pace of its attacks on northern Gaza. Recently, attacks by Iranian-backed militias killed three American servicemembers at a base in northern Jordan. In response, the United States has bombed militia sites across Iraq and Syria.
Israel and Hamas observed a one week ceasefire in late November. There have been attempts at a longer lasting ceasefire, brokered by mediators from Egypt and Qatar. Dueling proposals from Hamas and the United States and Israel have so far not led to an agreement, although talks are continuing.
Just this week, Windsor became the second Connecticut municipality, after Bridgeport, to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire.
