Thousands of pro-Palestine protestors gathered in Washington, D.C. over the weekend, demanding a cease-fire between Israel and the terror group Hamas. The White House remained silent as demonstrators vandalized its gates with signs and paint during a rowdy protest. The protest saw tens of thousands of people marching from Freedom Plaza to the White House, leaving antisemitic graffiti on several buildings along their path through the city.
Despite the chaos, the Secret Service confirmed that no arrests were made by the federal law enforcement agency during the protest. The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, however, did arrest one adult male on a destruction of property charge. The department is also investigating acts of vandalism at the McPherson Metro Station and on multiple police vehicles.
In response to the protest, Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department stated, “The Metropolitan Police Department handles hundreds of protests, demonstrations, and other events every year, and we support and facilitate people safely and peacefully exercising their First Amendment right to protest.”
Protesters accused President Biden of enabling a “genocide” of Palestinians and called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. They condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza, which they claimed resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people, including civilians, children, and the elderly. Hamas militants were also accused of infiltrating Israel’s borders, taking hundreds of Israelis hostage.
The protest extended beyond the White House gates, with statues in downtown Washington being defaced and Palestinian flags being wrapped around a statue of Benjamin Franklin and another of General Marquis de Lafayette near the White House.
While the White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the demonstration, the protest highlighted the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine and the calls for international intervention to secure a cease-fire.
Elizabeth Elkind, a reporter for Fox News, covered the protest and focused on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Her previous bylines can be seen at the Daily Mail and CBS News.
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