Law enforcement authorities arrested roughly 300 pro-Palestine protesters who swarmed Capitol Hill demanding a ceasefire in Gaza amid the brutal attacks on the region.
The Wednesday demonstrations could be seen in video footage from inside the Cannon Office Building. They showed a large group of people chanting "Ceasefire Now!" and called on Congress to demand a stop to the fighting in Israel. The protesters were also seen wearing black T-shirts that read, "Jews Say Ceasefire Now!"
Capitol Hill Protest
The Jewish Voice for Peace group posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that more than 350 demonstrators were inside the large rotunda. These included two dozen rabbis as thousands of others were outside protesting.
The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) released a statement saying that demonstrations were not allowed inside congressional buildings. They also conducted efforts to clear the crowd in the area while warning protesters to stop demonstrating. When the demonstrators did not comply with the orders, police arrested them, as per Fox News.
USCP later said that about 300 protesters were taken into custody following the demonstration on Capitol Hill. These included at least three individuals who were charged with assault on a police officer during the protests.
Additionally, law enforcement authorities said that demonstrators who were inside the Cannon Rotunda will be charged with illegally protesting inside a House office building. Authorities said that at 6:00 p.m. the rotunda was clear of illegal demonstrators and that USCP was processing the arrests.
Law enforcement officials also noted that more demonstrators were walking in the roadway around the House side of the Capitol Complex and opted to temporarily roll out road closures for safety.
Capitol Police said that initially, the protesters entered the building legally and properly through visitor security checkpoints. However, they added that the demonstrators later failed to follow police warnings, according to CBS News.
Israel-Hamas Conflict
Before this protest, hundreds of individuals gathered on the National Mall near the Capitol and called on United States President Joe Biden's administration to call for a ceasefire. A Vermont resident, 32-year-old Hannah Lawrence, said that the Democratic president is the only one who has the power to pressure Israel right now.
She argued that Biden needs to do so right now and make use of his power to save innocent lives who were caught up in the conflict. A 71-year-old rabbi from Philadelphia, Linda Holtzman, demanded an immediate ceasefire and urged the president to "open your eyes."
The Capitol Hill protests followed the widespread condemnation of the destruction of a hospital in Gaza that was later revealed to have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and medical workers. Palestinian and Israeli officials have traded blame for the incident despite the latter initially claiming credit for the attack.
Since the Hamas militant group's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, President Biden has expressed his support for the U.S.' Middle Eastern ally. At the time, gunmen from the terrorist group that controlled Gaza broke through Israel's border and killed more than 1,400 people, said the Washington Post.
