On Tuesday (23rd July), US Capitol Police arrested over 200 pro-Palestine protesters who reportedly stormed and seized the US Congressional building where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was slated to address a joint meeting a day later.
Hundreds of anti-Israel activists storm the U.S. Capital and stage a sit down protest against Netanyahu before his address to Congress tomorrow.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 23, 2024
They were arrested shortly afterwards.
Is this an insurrection? pic.twitter.com/qq0UksYo04
According to unverified videos circulating on social media, pro-Palestine protesters on Wednesday have reportedly dyed multiple fountains near the Capitol Hill blood-red. It is also claimed, in the video, that they have cast projections demanding the arrest of Netanyahu, describing him as a “war criminal”.
BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS 🩸
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) July 24, 2024
Protesting Netanyahu’s visit to deliver a speech to Congress, activists in Washington DC dyed multiple fountains around Capitol Hill with red and projections cast demanding the arrest of war criminal Netanyahu. pic.twitter.com/m13OWxJoQK
Additionally, a DC-based pro-Palestine group named ‘Palestinian Youth Movement’ has claimed that it released mealworms and insects inside the Watergate Hotel where Netanyahu is staying during his current US visit. Taking to X and Instagram, they have released a purported video claiming that last night they released mealworms and maggots on the Israeli delegation’s ‘war table’. They also claimed to have released crickets all around the hotel building.
The DC Palestinian Youth Movement released maggots and crickets were released throughout the Watergate Hotel where Netanyahu is staying.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) July 24, 2024
The protestors also pulled multiple fire alarms throughout the night.
This is an utter security failure. pic.twitter.com/3O0XbOvoGx
BON APPETIT!! MAGGOTS RELEASED ON THE CRIMINAL ZIONIST'S WAR TABLE!
— Palestinian Youth Movement (@palyouthmvmt) July 24, 2024
Palestine protestors manufactured chaos at the Watergate Hotel last night so that Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service had no peace as they continue to terrorize our people. pic.twitter.com/hEc2HzL8Jb
In their post, they further claimed that they manufactured chaos last night at the hotel where Netanyahu and other Israeli delegations are staying. In their post on Instagram, the group further claimed that they triggered multiple fire alarms on several floors to ensure that Netanyahu and US lawmakers could not rest properly before his joint address to the US Congress.
The post added, “May their dreams be haunted by the death of our people and decay of their society.”
It is further being claimed that the pro-Palestine protesters have been peddling anti-Israel and anti-Netanyahu posts on Telegram accusing them of having “BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS”.
“On the night before the Congressional betrayal of the masses of the world, citizens of conscience in DC sent a clear message to the ruling elite: Congress and Netanyahu have blood on their hands. Multiple fountains around Capitol Hill were dyed red and projections were cast demanding the arrest of war criminal Netanyahu. This entire imperial Zionist core is responsible for the death of thousands of Palestinian souls. The people of DC and the US refuse to allow these corrupt politicians to continue their genocidal legacy without marking them with the true color of their actions: blood red,” the purported message read.
The group also projected the message ‘Wanted. Arrest war criminal Netyananahu’ and a portrait of the Israeli PM on the facade of the Watergate Hotel building, and banners with the same message were hung across the city at various places, including the Capitol.
Meanwhile, the US agency shared a post on X confirming that it has arrested hundreds of protesters who besieged the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building. It stated that they were arrested for “Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding” adding that it’s against the law to demonstrate in congressional buildings.
Pro-Palestinian protesters and police outside the Watergate, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with family members of American hostages held by Hamas around 6 o’clock. pic.twitter.com/I5bhXU05yw
— Tom Roussey (@tomroussey7news) July 22, 2024
Apart from the US Congressional building, the US agencies also enhanced the security of the Watergate Hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is staying during his visit to D.C. as large mobs of pro-Palestinian activists gathered around the building raising xenophobic and anti-Israel remarks even calling for Netanyahu’s death. Several videos are doing rounds on social media in which the protesters, gathered outside Netanyahu’s place of stay during the US, could be heard raising slogans like “Allahu Akbar! Hamas!”, “Jewish motherf***ers!”, “We’re gonna kill all of you!” and “We’re gonna burn you!”.
2) "Allahu Akbar! Hamas!" yelled one man through the fencer outside the Watergate at Israel supporters counter-protesting them from inside.
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) July 24, 2024
"Jewish motherf***ers!" he yelled. "We're gonna kill all of you!"
"We're gonna burn you!"
It should be noted that it was one lone… pic.twitter.com/LZelj34jWA
Happening right now: pro-Palestinian activists, many of whom are waving terrorist flags, are ensued in a standoff with Capitol Police.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) July 24, 2024
They are currently gathering outside of the hotel where Netanyahu and his wife are staying in DC. pic.twitter.com/s99ZlotVDs
As per reports, the protesters also raised banners reading “WAR CRIMINAL STAYS HERE” and banged pots and pans outside the hotel until late into the night. They also raised calls for his arrest.
It is pertinent to note that Netanyahu’s US visit to address the US Congress was arranged weeks ago at the instigation of the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson. Since then, anti-Israel groups have been organizing for weeks to protest against his speech at the Joint Session of Congress.
As per reports, the protesters include a broad range of groups, mostly leftwing while some of them also include Jewish groups calling for an end to the War in Gaza.
"Jewish Voice For Peace" leading anti-Netanyahu protests is a fraud, not Jewish not for peace, in 2017 JVP honored terrorist who murdered two Jewish students in a supermarket bombing and was being deported from US for immigration fraud https://t.co/c9Cg6oGKIF pic.twitter.com/164sKLLA0E
— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) July 23, 2024
Among those organising the main rally include Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, the US Palestinian Community Network, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), the People’s Forum, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as reported by the Guardian.
