An anti-Israel protest reportedly planned by members of President Joe Biden’s administration was seemingly derailed after the Washington, D.C., area got several inches of snow ahead of Tuesday.
“Feds United for Peace,” a coalition of members from 22 federal agencies within the Biden administration, were first reported to hold a “Day of Mourning” on Tuesday, in protest of how the president has handled the Israel-Hamas war, according to Al-Monitor. To observe the “Day of Mourning,” staffers were encouraged to stay home from work in support of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, according to an Instagram post named “Feds United for Peace.”
But after Washington, D.C., received three to six inches of snow, all federal offices were closed Tuesday, forcing staffers in the administration to work remotely the same day the organizers of the protest encouraged staffers to stay home.
“This Day of Mourning was not just for federal employees in Washington but for employees across the country,” the Feds United for Peace told the Daily Caller in a statement. “Despite the closure of federal offices in Washington because of the weather, many employees eligible for telework still participated in the Day of Mourning. We do not have a final figure to share at this point.”
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The group shared a list with the Daily Caller of 27 federal agencies that it expected participants from. Some of the agencies included the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of State.
“There is no special leave consideration to participate in protests – all the normal leave policies apply,” a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller in a statement. “Employees must request leave for the absence, otherwise they may be charged AWOL.”
In a social media post answering “frequently asked questions,” “Feds United for Peace” recommended that participants use “annual leave” and give notification of their absence Jan. 16. The account encouraged participants taking leave on the snow day in Washington, D.C., to sign its pledge to express “solidarity” with the “Day of Mourning.”
“You may need to explain it as a need to take a personal day if you prefer not to divulge your participation in the Day of Mourning,” the social media post from the “Feds United for Peace” read.
Another social media post states that the protest is not a “walk out” but a “Day of Mourning.”
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Upon learning the news that members of the administration planned to participate in the protest, House Speaker Mike Johnson tweeted he would be pushing federal agencies to punish such participants.
“Any government worker who walks off the job to protest U.S. support for our ally Israel is ignoring their responsibility and abusing the trust of taxpayers,” Johnson wrote.
Any government worker who walks off the job to protest U.S. support for our ally Israel is ignoring their responsibility and abusing the trust of taxpayers. They deserve to be fired.
Oversight Chairman Comer and I will be working together to ensure that each federal agency… https://t.co/jcWa4bI3Db
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 14, 2024
Biden and his administration have backed Israel since Hamas launched its Oct. 7 terrorist attack on the country. As concerns around the administration’s response began, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has maintained that the administration does not back a ceasefire, arguing it would only benefit Hamas.
The president has faced growing resistance to his pro-Israel stance from within his own party, campaign and administration. A coalition of State Department staffers petitioned to the president in November and asked him to call for a ceasefire. Democratic allies have warned that Biden could lose some of the youth vote if he continues to tie himself so closely to Israel. (RELATED: Joe Biden Faces Yet Another Mutiny, This Time Within His Own Campaign Staff)
The White House did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
Amid the growing tension, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Tuesday against staffers protesting the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
“They ultimately have to be on the job and do their jobs, but the main thing is this: people feel the need to speak up and speak out,” Blinken told CNBC. “That’s a cherished part of our democracy. It’s a cherished part of – in my view, of patriotism.”
“But people also need to be on the job, do the job. Look, we see this across many administrations,” Blinken continued. “If the policies an administration is pursuing that individuals object to in a way that they can’t continue to work, well, that’s their decision. That’s their choice. They have to make that decision.
Government workers are planning to “walk off the job” in protest of U.S. support for Israel.
Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s response: “The institution that I want to have is a place where people feel comfortable doing that!” pic.twitter.com/jhTnkET390
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 16, 2024
Despite the warning, members of the administration reportedly participated anyway, Al-Monitor reported.
“I need this day to process this and reflect,” a member of the DHS told the outlet.
A civilian industrial engineer at Robins Air Force Base in central Georgia told Al-Monitor they joined the protest by quitting their job entirely.
“[M]y integrity and belief in human rights are worth more than my paycheck,” the individual told Al-Monitor.