Protesters calling for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lowered and then burned US flags blocks from the US Capitol, raising smaller Palestinian flags in their place, following the divisive leader’s fiery speech to Congress on Wednesday.
Protesters said they briefly scuffled with police on one side of Columbus Circle, apparently prompting U.S. Park Police to revoke a permit for the protest and order protesters to leave the area shortly after 4 p.m.
Most of the crowd dispersed at that point, but not before they removed U.S. flags, burned two of them and covered a bell and statues outside Union Station with anti-Israel graffiti. “Hamas is coming,” said graffiti on a statue.
A U.S. Park Police captain confirmed to The Hill that two of the three flags taken from poles outside Union Station were burned by protesters.
Videos posted online showed the crowd chanting as flags burned, with one man running to retrieve a flag before being ejected. Other videos showed Netanyahu’s effigy in flames as protesters chanted “Free Palestine.”
D.C. Metropolitan Police said six protesters were arrested at the scene. At least five protesters were also arrested in the House gallery during Netanyahu’s speech, and another five were arrested while marching on Constitution Avenue.
Inside the Capitol, Netanyahu used part of his nearly hour-long speech to denounce protesters outside and on college campuses earlier this year, accusing his critics of standing “with evil” and saying they should be “ashamed of themselves.”
“They refuse to make the simple distinction between those who target terrorists and those who target civilians, between the democratic State of Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas,” Netanyahu declared.
Earlier in the day, thousands of people demonstrated less than a half-mile from the House, calling Netanyahu a “butcher” and “genocidal maniac” who was “making a fool of the United States.”
Leaders of some of America’s largest unions, religious leaders and Green Party candidate Jill Stein denounced Netanyahu’s visit, asking “how dare” Congress invite Netanyahu to speak.
A sizable number of Democratic lawmakers also boycotted the speech.
“Instead of speaking today, he should be handed over to The Hague to give testimony about his war crimes,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“For the past 30 years, he has been actively manipulating our government… today, in just a few hours, he will deliver a violent, manipulative and deceitful speech to further repress the Palestinian people and destroy their lives, their properties and his own Future State.”
Protesters initially gathered near the National Gallery of Art and then marched around the Capitol to Union Station, where the scene grew more chaotic.
The Park Police joined forces from across the region. More than 200 New York Police Department (NYPD) officers traveled to the nation’s capital and were sworn in to serve in the United States Capitol Police Special Officer force.
“No matter the task, no matter the assignment, no matter how far from home, your NYPD will answer the call and ensure the public is safe and democracy is protected,” wrote Kaz Daughtry, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations , on social platform.
The Israeli leader alleged during his speech that Iran is financing and promoting these demonstrations in the US as part of its efforts to influence the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Earlier this month, Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, warned that “actors linked to the government of Iran” had “opportunistically” co-opted some anti-Israel protests in the US, supporting and financing their work.
“When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and financing you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu said, speaking directly to protesters, including those who demonstrated in Washington. CC
Netanyahu also took the opportunity to praise members of the University of North Carolina’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity who gained viral attention after they were photographed holding an American flag during a clash with pro-Palestinian supporters who sought to replace it with a Palestinian flag.
“I wish to salute the fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina who protected the American flag against these anti-Israel protesters,” Netanyahu said, prompting a series of “USA” chants to erupt across the floor.
By explicitly attacking members of the LGBTQ community who spoke out against his military offensive in Gaza and who wore clothing at protests embellished with the slogan “Gays for Gaza,” Netanyahu suggested that many do not understand what they are fighting for.
“They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC,’” Netanyahu joked.
“These protesters sing from the river to the sea, but many have no idea which river or sea they are talking about,” he added.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
