Hundreds of people were arrested on Wednesday during pro-Palestinian protests that took place inside and around the U.S. Capitol building.
The protest began at the National Mall around noon before moving outside the Cannon House Office Building later in the day, as reported by Fox News. The building hosts multiple House committees and offices and sits adjacent to the U.S. Capitol on Independence Ave.
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), one of the organizations that helped organize the protest, posted on social media that more than 10,000 people participated in the protest, with roughly 500 making their way into the Capitol to “demand an end to the Israeli and U.S. government’s genocide in Gaza with a [ceasefire NOW]!”
“Ceasefire is the least we can do to challenge the Israeli government’s ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”
An earlier social media post from JVP stated, “Arrests are beginning, but we won’t leave until we get CEASEFIRE NOW and STOP THE GENOCIDE of Palestinians in Gaza!”
Approximately 300 people were arrested in the Capitol complex for their roles in the protest, per ABC News.
Capitol Police stated on social media that they “warned the protestors to stop demonstrating and when they did not comply we began arresting them.”
“Amongst these arrests, three people have been arrested and charged with Assault on a Police Officer during processing,” Capitol Police posted about an hour later.
Capitol Police instituted multiple security measures in advance of the anticipated protest to help protect those inside the Capitol. These measures included additional fencing around parts of the building, increased security, and instructing lawmakers to stay inside the building and use tunnels to travel through the complex, according to the New York Post.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) spoke before a group of demonstrators outside the Capitol during the protest, expressing her support for Palestine.
“I think the White House and everyone thinks we’re just going to sit back and let this just continue to happen. No!” she said, according to the New York Post.
Other lawmakers showed their support for Israel. Senior Congressional Correspondent for Fox News Chad Pergram posted a photo of Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) holding an Israeli flag above the protesters inside the Capitol.
Rep Brandon Williams standing above the anti-Israel protest, standing silently with an Israeli flag above the demonstration in the Cannon House Office Building pic.twitter.com/BjZqODmWHs
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 18, 2023
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) posted a video of the protest on social media, declaring, “There’s an insurrection happening now on Capitol Hill.”
She turned her camera to show a crowd of people standing on the first floor of the Cannon building, clapping and singing. She then went to an outdoor balcony to video people standing peacefully in the street chanting, “Ceasefire now!”
The protest comes amid the ongoing crisis between Israel and Hamas that began with an unprecedented attack from Hamas on October 7, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The war has left thousands dead and thousands more injured, prompting the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare 2,000 U.S. troops for deployment in the event that Israel needs support, per The Dallas Express.
