Thousands Protest Netanyahu’s Visit to Washington

Thousands of critics of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza marched in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and call for his arrest, according to organizers on the ground.

The mass demonstration outside the U.S. Capitol ahead of Netanyahu’s joint congressional address was organized “by a coalition of hundreds of different grassroots organizations that came together,” Walter Smolarek, the media coordinator for A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition, told Newsweek in a phone interview.

This was Netanyahu’s first address since Hamas‘ October 7 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages, of which about 120 remain held.

Since then, Israel has engaged in numerous air and ground offensives in Gaza, razing much of the territory, displacing over 2.1 million Palestinians, and killing upwards of 39,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Associated Press (AP) said.

Rising death tolls and an increasingly severe humanitarian crisis have sparked repeated calls for a ceasefire. In the U.S., the conflict remains deeply polarizing, as the nation is Israel’s strongest ally and provides billions in military aid.

On Wednesday, many protestors wearing Palestinian keffiyehs and red colored clothing, shouted “free Palestine” and “ceasefire now.” Some carried signs with messages such as: “Arrest Netanyahu” and “Stop Arming Israel.”

Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday, has been met with increased security in response to anticipated demonstrations.

Yesterday, Jewish Voices for Peace held a 300 person sit-in, wearing shirts saying “Not in Our Name.” U.S. Capitol Police said in an X, formerly Twitter, post, they arrested approximately 200 members for “illegally demonstrating inside the Cannon Rotunda.”

The U.S. Capitol Police told Newsweek in an email that their security plan for the Israeli leader “includes adding more officers–including from several outside agencies continuing our robust intelligence sharing with our partners.”

The statement continued, “We anticipate a large number of demonstrators to show up. We respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, however all demonstrations must be done peacefully and legally.”

Just before 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the U.S. Capitol Police announced its forces had used “pepper spray” on protestors in an X post. “Part of the crowd has started to become violent,” the post read, adding that “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,” the police said.

Several videos on X show protesters pouring water on their eyes after the chemical agent struck them. Smolarek said he, along with his colleagues, were sprayed in the “violent police attack on the march.” He said the police deployed pepper spray on the “densest part of the crowd,” estimating that “couple hundred” of people were struck.

“The march did continue, that did not break up the march,” Smolarek said.

“The main demand was to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu,” Smolarek said.

Newsweek filed out an online contact form with the Palestinian Youth Movement and sent an email to the People’s Forum, who are believed to be involved in organizing the mass protest.

Later in the day, the police force posted on X, “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.”

Protestors have also reportedly climbed the flagpole outside of Washington’s Union Train Station and replaced American flags with Palestinian flags, according to the AP.

Inside the Capitol, Netanyahu said during his address to Congress that he will continue Israel’s offensive against Hamas until the nation receives “total victory,” adding “we will settle for nothing less.”

More than 50 congressional Democrats skipped Netanyahu’s address in an act of protest.

Updated 7/24/24 at 4:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional context and Smolarek’s comment.