Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Rally In Philly Ends With Numerous Arrests

PHILADELPHIA — Hundreds of protestors calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas gathered at Philadelphia's 30th Street Thursday afternoon as bloodshed continues after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

According to the Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, 500 faith leaders and activists descended on 30th Street Station at about 5 p.m. Thursday.

The group said more than 350 protestors were arrested at the transit hub Thursday.

Action News reports protestors started blocking access to trains at about 7 p.m., which led to the arrests.

The demonstrators' presence forced SEPTA to close the main entrance to the station, according to NBC10.

Imams, rabbis, reverends, pastors, clerics and Buddhist monks led the crowd in traditional songs and chants and prayers, Jewish Voice for Peace said.

The group claimed some train passengers joined in the protest.

According to the Associated Press, more than 9,00 Palestinians have died and more than 1,400 Israelis have died since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on a music festival in Israel.

"We are Jews and Rabbis, clergy and people of conscience, and we are part of a growing social movement demanding that President Biden and the U.S. call for a ceasefire," Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari, senior rabbi at Kol Tzedek in West Philadelphia, said in a statement. "Since October 7, thousands of Palestinians and Israelis, including thousands of children, have been killed. We will not stop disrupting business as usual until Biden heads the moral call and demands a ceasefire in the region. The time is now!"