Pro-Palestine rally calls on Rep. Steve Cohen to support ceasefire, end of aid to Israel

As the death toll in both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank continues to climb, Memphis residents once more gathered in a show of support for the Palestinian people while taking early aim at U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen's next election cycle in 2024.

Around 50 gathered at the intersection of Poplar Avenue and McLean Boulevard Wednesday afternoon, drawing honks of support from motorists. The crowd moved to Cohen's house, located near the intersection.

By the time the crowd reached the congressman's house within walking distance, about 70 more joined in. The crowd chanted, "Don't keep it goin' with Cohen," in a reference to the congressman's past campaign slogans.

The protest was organized by Memphis Voices for Palestine, an organization that has been facilitating protests as the violence in Gaza has increased. The organization has said they want to see Cohen support a U.S. House of Representatives resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of the conflict in both Israel and Palestine.

A temporary ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Palestine in order to exchange hostages and political prisoners from their respective nations, however, the release will begin later than expected, officials said Wednesday afternoon. Protestors said a temporary pause is not good enough.

Previously, Cohen has voted in support of a number of resolutions that condemn pro-Palestine protests, reaffirm Israel's right to self-defense, affirm that "Israel is not a racist or apartheid state," and censure U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her remarks in Congress that Cohen said perpetuated misinformation.

The Memphis congressman has also been critical of Israel's far-right prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the past, skipping Netanyahu's visit to Congress in 2015. A recent poll of Israeli citizens also showed starkly declining support for Netanyahu, with some 76% agreeing the prime minister should leave office immediately.

Cohen was not in Memphis Wednesday but issued a statement to The Commercial Appeal.

"I will not be in Memphis today. I understand the protestors’ concern, which I share, for the deaths and hardships suffered by many Palestinians and Israelis. Israel is showing concern for hostages by engaging in a war pause and releasing convicted Palestinians in a three-for-one exchange for innocent hostages. I look forward to Hamas releasing all of its hostages and meaningful discussions to resolve the hostilities," Cohen said.

Previously: More than 400 rally for Palestine in Downtown Memphis, demand justice for Gaza

In the time span between the first local protest in support of Palestine and Wednesday's event, violence has intensified substantially and the ongoing bombing in Gaza has decimated the majority of the majority of the infrastructure and displaced 1.7 million Palestinians, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

The Times of Israel reported the internal displacement of some 200,000 Israeli citizens, following evacuation orders for communities near both the Gaza and Lebanon borders.

The latest estimates are that more than 14,000 Palestinians have died in the retaliatory bombing since the Oct. 7 massacre that killed around 1,200 Israelis. Roughly 5,500 of the Palestinian victims are children, the UN estimates.

Many in attendance at Wednesday's protest declined to speak with The CA citing safety concerns; several said they had voted for Cohen previously, but would not be doing so again.

One voter, Mary Mildram, called foul on Israel's military tactics that have indiscriminately killed children.

"Slaughtering children is not self-defense," Mildram said.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis protestors call on Rep. Steve Cohen to support ceasefire