Thousands of pro-Palestine activists marched around the United States Capitol on Wednesday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress inside.
The first mace was deployed (over the heads of officers, toward the activists) as activists arrived at a police line on the Northwest side of Capitol grounds. The crowd began throwing water bottles as officers continue using mace.
Officers deployed at lease one flash grenade.
As police engaged the crowd, a man scolded police and was maced as well.
The crowd continued marching, taking a wider route around the Capitol and avoiding most confrontations during the march itself.
“Smack Netanyahu in the head with that billy club!”
Activists continued a wide march around the United States Capitol from the West side to the East side clockwise.
Some pro-Israel, anti-Netanyahu activists stood along the path and were mostly ignored. Police blocked off streets heading close to the Capitol complex.
Pro-Palestine protesters made it to directly west of the United States Capitol where they were held back at a police line about two blocks from the Capitol grounds.
Police here behind bike line dawned masks, shields, and less-lethals.
Protesters turned around, heading toward Union Station.
The pro-Palestine activists completed their march by going past the Heritage Foundation, where they shouted “shame!” and raised middle fingers at spectators watching them from the roof.
“Allahu Akbar” yelled two men carrying variations of the Jihadist flag.
Pro-Palestine protesters set fire to a large American flag taken off of the pole outside Union Station this afternoon while chanting “Allahu Akbar” in protest of Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Congress nearby on Wednesday.
They added an effigy of Netanyahu hanging from a noose into the fire.
With the large American flag burning outside Union Station, the protesters then rolled a giant effigy of Benjamin Netanyahu on top of it, leading to it burning as well.
The group danced in celebration as the image of Netanyahu was reduced to ash.
Pro-Palestine demonstrators could also be seen setting fire to a German flag outside Union Station.
A skirmish broke out Wednesday between pro-Palestine protesters at Union Station and police when activists took the American flag down and attempted to replace it with a Palestinian flag.
Several protesters were arrested, and a serious of physical confrontations broke out as officers attempted to take the arrestees away. One officer deployed an enormous burst of crowd-control pepper spray on a single protester, which affected others behind him including News2Share’s Ford Fischer.
In a later incident, an activist spat on a police officer, which prompted the officer next to them to attempt a one-man chase, during which he tripped over and failed to make an arrest.
Following Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Thursday, pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Watergate where he’s staying and set fire to posters portraying him as posing for a mugshot.
“Netanyahu rise and shine!” they chanted. “No sleep for genocide!”
Protesters banged on the fence outside the Watergate, which prompted police to push in.
A few brief scuffles and pushing matches broke out as police tried to cover the entire fence, but no arrests were made.
“Free Palestine, PIGS” was apparently written by someone onto an MPD police car. A handful of dirt was also thrown onto it.
“Quit your job!” pro-Palestine protesters told the officer as he realized what had happened. “You’re a sell-out, you piece of s***!”
Protesters spent a few hours mostly trying to make as much noise and distraction for Netanyahu staying inside the Watergate Hotel. They banged pots and pans and unleashed colored smoke.
One woman held a sign reading “Netanyahu deserves death” and “Jews for Hamas.”
Protesters during a closing speech celebrated what they see as failures in Netanyahu’s trip to the United States: “His meeting with Biden keeps getting pushed back. His own country hates him. We hate him! His settler-colonial state is failing.”
They promised to return for a new protest if Biden does indeed meet with him on Thursday.
