More than 50 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested Monday morning after scattering what appeared to be blood-stained dollar bills in the lobby of the Senate office building and demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, authorities said.
“Cease fire now! Armistice now!” shouted protesters wearing black T-shirts proclaiming “Stop the Guns Now,” as they held up banners reading, “Aid to Israel = Bomb Palestine.”
A lone protester climbed a large sculpture in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building and sat cross-legged on the melee, before Capitol Police officers and DC firefighters brought ladders in and ordered him down, according to a photo shared by NBC News.
A Capitol Police spokesman said 49 people were arrested and charged with unlawful crowding, obstruction or failure to enter.
The person claiming the statue and another woman were charged with resisting arrest, bringing the total number of people arrested to 51.
More than 40 protesters were arrested Monday morning during a pro-Palestinian protest at the Hart Senate Office Building after scattering what appeared to be blood-stained dollar bills and demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. A lone protester also climbed a large sculpture in the atrium and sat cross-legged on the melee, before Capitol Police officers and DC firefighters brought ladders in and ordered him down, according to photos shared by NBC News. @FrankThorp / X
The demonstration featured bags of cash painted red to resemble blood stains, which were then thrown across the floor of the atrium.
“Anti-Israel protesters created chaos in the Senate. I’m sure they will change hearts and minds by making the hardworking Senate custodial workers spend their whole day cleaning up the mess they made,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said to X.
“Thank you to the Capitol Police and Senate facilities staff for upholding professionalism in the midst of such clowning.”
“Thank you to the Capitol Police and Senate facilities staff for upholding professionalism in the midst of such clowning,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) posted on X about the protest. @FrankThorp / X
Jewish Voice for Peace demonstrators too chained himself to the fence of the White House on Monday, as workers at the executive mansion prepared to host an afternoon Hanukkah party.
The protests follow several demonstrations that have taken place at other buildings in the Capitol complex and in major US cities — even as a new poll shows a majority of Americans believe Israel is taking appropriate military action to defend itself against Hamas terrorists.
However, Democrats support the Jewish state’s military efforts far less than their Republican counterparts, with 48% expressing equal sympathy for Israel and Palestine and 24% expressing sympathy for Palestine alone. Only 17% of Democrats are more sympathetic to Israel, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.
The demonstration featured bags of cash painted red to look like blood which were then thrown all over the floor of the Senate office building. @SenThomTillis / X
Republicans and Democrats in the upper house are debating President Biden’s request for an additional $106 billion national security package, which would provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, in addition to further security funding for US border enforcement.
Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have been united in supporting the relief package, with only Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against advancing the measure last week.
“I voted NO on the supplemental foreign aid bill today for one reason. I do not believe that we should give the far-right Netanyahu government an additional $10.1 billion dollars with no strings attached to continue their inhumane war against the Palestinian people,” Sanders said in a statement.
“Cease fire now! Armistice now!” protesters shouted in footage posted to social media, as they wore black T-shirts proclaiming “Stop Guns Now” and held up banners reading: “Aid to Israel = Bomb Palestine.” @SenThomTillis / X
“Israel has the absolute right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists who attacked them on October 7. They have no legal or moral right to kill thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women and children.”
The vote was largely symbolic as Republicans opposed the bill until immigration policy changes could be added to its text, with many expressing doubt that such a measure could pass before the holiday break.
Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during their October 7 invasion of the Jewish state — including at least 33 Americans. The jihadists also took about 240 hostages back to Gaza, including about 10 Americans – two of whom were freed during a week-long lull in fighting last month.
A senior Israeli Defense Force official confirmed last week that some 5,000 Hamas terrorists and 10,000 Palestinian civilians had been killed in the war.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
