U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, entrance heart, different individuals stroll over the Edmund Pettus Bridge throughout an occasion marking the 57th anniversary of the 1965 Bloody Sunday civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, U.S., on Sunday, March 6, 2022.
Andi Rice | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures
Vice President Kamala Harris known as for a cease-fire in Gaza Sunday whereas commemorating the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day regulation enforcement officers attacked Civil Rights activists crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.
Harris gave an 18-minute speech at a gathering on the bridge to acknowledge the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On March 7, 1965, officers beat 600 demonstrators with billy golf equipment and sprayed them with tear gasoline throughout a march throughout the bridge in help of voting rights.
Earlier than honoring activists like Amelia Boynton and John Lewis, Harris acknowledged the continued humanitarian disaster in Gaza within the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Harris condemned Hamas whereas additionally calling on the Israeli authorities to extend help in Gaza. On Saturday, america navy accomplished its first airdrop of humanitarian assist in Gaza after authorization from President Joe Biden final week.
Harris additionally acknowledged negotiations for a cease-fire within the area and mentioned she and Biden are “unwavering in our dedication to Israel’s safety.”
“Given the immense scale of struggling in Gaza, there have to be a direct cease-fire for no less than the subsequent six weeks, which is at the moment on the desk,” Harris mentioned.
Echoing the remarks Biden made final week, Harris mentioned the U.S. will proceed offering assist to Gaza by way of airdrops and a possible route by sea.
“Folks in Gaza are ravenous, the situations are inhumane and our widespread humanity compels us to behave,” Harris mentioned.
She additionally honored the work of Civil Rights activists and drew comparisons between their battle for freedom and trendy threats to freedom, like gun violence and voting rights.
“The challenges we at the moment face usually are not not like the challenges confronted by these 600 courageous souls 59 years in the past,” Harris mentioned.
