Democratic, Republican Leaders Condemn Flag Burnings, Vandalism During Netanyahu Visit

Thousands of demonstrators gathered around the U.S. Capitol on July 24 as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.
D.C. Metropolitan Police arrested five people who chained themselves together to block an intersection near the capitol on Wednesday. A few hours later, the police department reported arresting two more demonstrators for assaulting an officer during a protest at Columbus Circle and Union Station. Police arrested two more individuals who crossed a police line after the assault.
Demonstrators in and around Union Station left behind numerous graffitied messages on a replica of the Liberty Bell and a Christopher Columbus statue. Among the messages were “Free Palestine,” “Free Gaza,” and “Stop Funding Genocide.” Other graffitied messages referred to “intifada,” an Arabic word for uprising or rebellion that has been used by Palestinians throughout the long-running Israeli–Palestinian conflict. At least one demonstrator was seen spray-painting the words “Hamas Is Comin.”…