WASHINGTON - Thousands of protesters against the Gaza war staged a sit-in at US congressional office building with Capitol Police making multiple arrests as Israeli PM Netanyahu arrived to address US Congress on Wednesday.
Netanyahu landed in Washington Monday for a visit that includes meetings with President Joe Biden and a Wednesday speech before a joint session of Congress. Dozens of protesters rallied outside his hotel Monday evening, and on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators staged a flashmob-style protest in the Cannon Building, which houses offices of House of Representatives members.
After about a half-hour of clapping and chanting, officers from the U.S. Capitol Police issued several warnings, then began arresting protesters — binding their hands with zip ties and leading them away one-by-one. Five people have were arrested inside the Capitol building for attempting to disrupt the Netanyahu address, according to police.
US Capitol Police said in a statement on social media: “Five people in the House Gallery just disrupted the Address during the Joint Meeting. “All of them were immediately removed from the Gallery and arrested.
“Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is against the law.”
A short while earlier some boos could be heard on the television broadcast during the Israeli prime minister’s speech.
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers skipped his speech to Congress, expressing dismay over the thousands of civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis from Israel’s campaign in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Police responding to protesters near the US Capitol who used pepper spray and a flash-bang explosive devices Wednesday, shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at Congress, according to a CNN crew on the scene.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were involved in a confrontation with officers as they attempted to march beyond a police barrier at Constitution Avenue. “Part of the crowd has started to become violent at First Street and Constitution Avenue, NW,” Capitol Police said on X. “The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line. We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line.” After several minutes of tension, many protesters moved away from the barrier and continued their march and chanting.
The Secret Service is investigating reports that protestors gained access to the hotel building where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is staying in Washington, DC, released bugs in the hotel and pulled fire alarms, according to a source familiar with the matter. There were no threats to Secret Service protectees, which include Netanyahu, a spokesperson with the Public Safety Joint Information Center told CNN. “The Watergate facility has an expansive footprint and remains open for businesses, residences and guests,” the spokesperson said.
According to two sources familiar with the security plans, the conference room where one protest group claims they released bugs was not part of the area secured for Netanyahu’s visit by federal, Israeli or local security services. A pro-Palestinian group posted a video, they claim, is of the bugs released at the Watergate Hotel where Netanyahu is staying.
The fire alarms, which were pulled Tuesday night, were quickly disabled, CNN is told, because an official with the DC Fire Department was at the hotel for Netanyahu’s visit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel’s war in Gaza is “not a clash of civilizations. It’s clash between barbarism and civilization.”
“We meet today at a crossroads of history. Our world is in upheaval. In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror confronts America, Israel and our Arab friends,” he said as he opened his remarks to Congress.
He noted that it’s his fourth such address to the US Congress.