US Vice President Kamala Harris, front center, as other participants walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge during an event celebrating the 57th anniversary of the 1965 Bloody Sunday civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, US, Sunday 6 March 2022.
Andi rice | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris called for a ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday as she commemorated the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day law enforcement attacked civil rights activists crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama .
Harris gave an 18-minute speech at a rally on the bridge to recognize the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On March 7, 1965, officers beat 600 protesters with batons and sprayed them with tear gas during a march across the bridge in support of voting rights.
Before honoring activists like Amelia Boynton and John Lewis, Harris acknowledged the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza following the war between Israel and Hamas.
Harris condemned Hamas and also called on the Israeli government to increase assistance to Gaza. The US military on Saturday completed its first humanitarian aid drop into Gaza since President Joe Biden authorized it last week.
Harris also acknowledged negotiations for a ceasefire in the region and said she and Biden are “unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security.”
“Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire is needed for at least the next six weeks, which is currently on the table,” Harris said.
Echoing remarks Biden made last week, Harris said the United States would continue to provide aid to Gaza via airdrops and a potential sea route.
“People in Gaza are starving, conditions are inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act,” Harris said.
He also honored the work of civil rights activists and drew comparisons between their fight for freedom and modern threats to freedom, such as gun violence and voting rights.
“The challenges we currently face are no different than those faced by those 600 brave souls 59 years ago,” Harris said.