“Despicable,” “unpatriotic,” “abhorrent.” That is how Vice President Kamala Harris described the burning of an American flag and spray painted pro-Hamas messages in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 24.
The protests took place while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressing a joint session of Congress.
“How ironic as the prime minister was talking about them burning American flags, they’re literally proving him right by burning American flags with the Capitol in the background,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said.
“Saying ‘Hamas is coming,’ what are they, the Paul Revere of Hamas?” Moskowitz continued. “Hamas is coming? I mean, this is just totally ridiculous. And you know what, it is why all the protesters are getting painted with one brush.”
Moskowitz urged protesters who do not want to be categorized the same way to call out those who burned the flag and vandalized Union Station.
Harris did not attend Netanyahu’s address. Her office said there was a scheduling conflict with a campaign event, but she strongly condemned the protesters.
“I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews,” Harris said in a statement. “Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.”
One protester in the group of thousands carried a Hamas flag. Another protester spray painted “Hamas is coming” just a block away from the Capitol.
“It is unacceptable to deface public property, desecrate the American flag, threaten Jews with violence, or promote terrorist organizations like Hamas. Unacceptable,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.
Democrats are being called on to disavow the protests because more than 100 members of their party boycotted Netanyahu’s address.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who claims Netanyahu is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people, attended the address and held up a sign saying “war criminal.”
Now, Democrats are trying to distance themselves from that type of rhetoric.
“It’s not clear to me that any of the protesters associate with the left wing of the Democratic Party when these are individuals who have been aggressively protesting members of the House Democratic Caucus, every week, every month, year after year from October 7th in connection with our support for the special relationship between the United States and Israel,” Jeffries said. “So that’s a factual assumption that is inaccurate.”
Police arrested 23 protesters Wednesday. It is not yet clear what charges they will face, if any at all.
