Thousands gather on National Mall for March for Israel

Thousands of demonstrators descended onto the National Mall in the nation’s capital on Tuesday to express their support for Israel amid its war on Hamas, and to condemn antisemitism that has spiked amid the conflict.

D.C. officials ramped up security ahead of the rally, with multiple reports saying that up to 100,000 people were expected to be in attendance at the March for Israel. The event is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. on the National Mall.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) were among the featured speakers.

During his comments, Johnson denounced calls for a ceasefire in the war, which has been the focus of pro-Palestinian protestors who have rallied in DC in recent weeks.

“The calls for a ceasefire are outrageous,” he said, before the crowd then erupted in chants of “no ceasefire.”

“We stand with you in that Hamas terrorists waged the bloodiest assault on Jewish lives since the Holocaust and there are hundreds of hostages, many of them Americans still stuck inside Gaza,” he continued.

“Israel will cease their counter offensive when Hamas ceases to be a threat to the Jewish state.”

Actress Tovah Feldshuh opened the rally by condemning the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel, saying “to lose a life is to lose a universe.”