About 150 demonstrators were arrested Tuesday on Capitol Hill at a sit-in organized by a Mennonite group calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, police and protest organizers said.
Video circulated on social media by a group called Mennonite Action showed protesters being arrested in the Cannon House Office Building as they sang hymns or chanted “Cease fire!” and “Let Gaza live!”
“On January 16th, hundreds of Mennonites will gather in Washington, DC to peacefully demonstrate for a permanent ceasefire and deliver a petition to the US House of Representatives,” said a statement from the group.
“Together, we will show our political leaders, our fellow community members, and our Palestinian, Jewish, Arab and Muslim loved ones that there are Christians and Mennonites who stand with them in their call for peace and a ceasefire now,” the statement said. “This petition will demonstrate that thousands of Mennonites from across the United States stand together for a permanent ceasefire and an end to occupation.”
Mennonites are a diverse group of Christian communities with deep roots in the Radical Reformation, a radical branch of the 16th-century Protestant movement that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church.
While often associated with Martin Luther’s broader Protestant movement, the Radical Reformation embraced far more sweeping changes, rejecting practices like infant baptism and advocating for a direct, individual relationship with God.
“We were shocked and horrified by Hamas’ brutal attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7, but we are also horrified by Israel’s continuing attacks on Palestinian civilians,” said a spokesperson for the protesters.
“Over the past several months, we have watched in disbelief as the scale of violence in Palestine has reached staggering levels. Cities are in ruins. Children are trapped under the rubble. Hostages are being held captive. Hospitals are collapsing. Entire family lines have been wiped out,” said the spokesperson. “As bombs — funded by our tax dollars — rain down on Gaza, our hearts ache for the people of Palestine who are living through an unimaginable humanitarian crisis.”
The death toll among Palestinian civilians, including over 10,000 children, has been disputed by war advocates but the UN and other independent observers say that estimates are accurate and Israel has been accused of genocide in a case being heard at the World Court. Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu was suspended after he said that dropping a nuclear weapon on the Gaza Strip is “an option.”
“We cannot turn away,” said the spokesperson. “We cannot keep quiet. Our faith demands that we speak out.”
“Our Mennonite and Anabaptist values move us to advocate for peace,” said the spokesperson. “We understand as Christians that Jesus modeled active peacemaking and demonstrated that we have the power to nonviolently shape our world for good. We also believe it is our responsibility as Christians to stand up against violent theologies that promote antisemitism and Islamophobia. We believe that our own liberation is bound up in freedom for all people.”
The Mennonites called on Congress to approve Rep. Cori Bush’s resolution to demand a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages, to stop giving a blank check to Israel for weapons of war, and advocate for diplomacy and a political solution that ends the occupation of Palestine and builds toward dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians.
“We believe U.S. policymakers have a responsibility to do everything in their power to prevent more death and destruction – and advocate for a political solution that dignifies the lives of all Palestinians and Israelis,” said the spokesperson.
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