US Capitol Police said they arrested a group of pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied the Cannon Rotunda on Tuesday, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to deliver a speech to Congress.
“We are arresting a group that is demonstrating illegally inside Rotunda dos Canhão. Demonstrations are not permitted inside Congressional buildings,” Capitol Police said. in a post on the social platform X Tuesday afternoon.
“We told people who entered legally to stop or they would be arrested. They didn’t stop, that’s why we’re arresting them.”
Rep. Dan Kildee’s chief of staff, Mitchell Rivard, said in a statement that the Michigan Democrat’s office called the U.S. Capitol Police for assistance due to large demonstrations at the office building.
“Hundreds of protesters outside the office were disruptive, violently banging on the office doors, shouting loudly and attempting to force entry into the office,” Rivard said in the statement.
“Capitol Police and the U.S. Sergeant-at-Arms immediately responded to the incident and made several arrests. Congressman Kildee is safe and all of his employees have been held accountable.”
Kildee is among a growing number of Democrats calling on the Biden administration to withhold offensive weapons from Israel due to the continued bloodshed in Gaza.
“I am seriously concerned about the growing loss of life in the Middle East and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” Kildee said in an April statement. “Israeli military strikes have killed thousands of innocent civilians and displaced more than a million people.”
Netanyahu is expected to give a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, amid intense anger on the left over his handling of Israel’s war against Hamas. Many Democrats have announced they will boycott the speech.
Vice President Harris will not preside over the joint session due to pre-existing travel plans, according to her office.
Capitol Police posted on X around 4:30 p.m. that the rotunda was clear of protesters and said they would “provide the number of arrests tonight when we get the final number.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
