Protesters against the Gaza war staged a “die-in” in front of Lafayette Park and the White House on Thursday while President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The demonstrators poured red liquid onto the pavement, symbolizing the blood of those who lost their lives in Gaza. They chanted, “Arrest Netanyahu,” and brought in an effigy of Netanyahu with blood on its hands and dressed in an orange jumpsuit that read, “Wanted for crimes against humanity.”
Since the beginning of the war, over 39,000 people have perished in Gaza. Around 1,200 lost their lives in Israel following the October 7 Hamas assault that sparked the conflict, and numerous Israeli captives are still held by Hamas.
In his address to Congress on Wednesday, Netanyahu defended Israel’s actions during the war, while thousands of demonstrators gathered near the Capitol, parading through the city streets carrying Palestinian flags and demanding Netanyahu’s arrest.
At Union Station in Washington, protesters swapped American flags for Palestinian ones, which was met with loud cheers from the crowd. They also sprayed graffiti on a Christopher Columbus monument.
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In a statement on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris, the probable Democratic presidential candidate, condemned the actions of the protesters.
“Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric are unacceptable, and should not be tolerated in our country,” she stated. “I denounce the burning of the American flag. That flag represents our nation’s highest ideals and the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in such a manner.”
The number of protesters present on Thursday was notably lower than the previous day.
Hazami Barmada, a grassroots activist, criticized Biden’s choice not to seek reelection and pass the baton to Harris.
“Biden did not leave the race willingly, Joe Biden was forced out,” she declared. “And Kamala Harris still needs to demonstrate her humanity before gaining the trust of pro-Palestinian voters.”
“I won’t give you my vote until you prove you uphold the ideals that the Democratic Party is supposed to stand for,” she added.
At one point, a young man draped in an Israeli flag walked into the center of the protest circle and posed for the cameras as the crowd jeered.
Police worked to keep the opposing sides separated.
As the police escorted the man away — he was not arrested — Barmada shouted, “See, they even want to occupy our protests. Our land isn’t enough for them!”
Subsequently, as police cleared the path, the protesters marched through the city streets towards the National Mall.
