Responding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned speech to parliament on Wednesday, at least several hundred pro-Hamas activists, many carrying Palestinian flags, gathered around the parliament building to protest the prime minister’s speech.
The Blaze News’ Julio Rosas filmed anti-Israel protesters yelling, chasing and shoving police officers stationed around the Capitol and Union Station.
“It’s total chaos.”
Video from the protests showed some in the mob trying to pull officers away from protesters who had been restrained and handcuffed.
“Free them! Free them!” the crowd chanted at the police.
U.S. Park Police, caught on video by The Blaze News, removed and secured an American flag at Union Station and retreated from the unrest, as protesters ran after police, shouting instructions to each other to grab the flag from the officers.
An American flag flying outside Union Station was removed by activists and replaced with a Palestinian flag, and a bronze statue was defaced by protesters with the words “Here Comes Hamas.”
Other photos and videos showed protesters burning American and Israeli flags.
Metropolitan police officers fired pepper spray outside the parliament building to quell the violence.
Rosas described the scene as “total chaos,” writing in a post on X: “The mob continued to chase officers as they attempted to free protesters who had been arrested at Union Station. Pepper spray was eventually used to push the crowd back.”
Rosas reported that law enforcement had detained some of the protesters.
meanwhile, About half Some House and Senate Democrats chose to side with the activists by refusing to attend Netanyahu’s speech, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of Kansas.
On the floor, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said, “committed the crime of genocide.“
“I will never succumb to speaking truth to power,” Tlaib said. “The Israeli apartheid government is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people will not disappear. I stand in solidarity with all those who are exercising their right to protest and dissent in the streets outside the walls.”
Ocasio-Cortez called Netanyahu.”War criminal.“
Vice President Kamala Harris (Democrat) also did not attend Netanyahu’s speech, citing a previously scheduled event. President Joe Biden and VP Harris are reportedly scheduled to meet separately with the Israeli prime minister on Thursday. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Friday.
When Netanyahu and his wife arrived in Washington, D.C. on Monday, neither Biden nor Harris were there to greet them.
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