Pro-Hamas protesters take down US flags in DC — police deploy pepper spray to stop mob chase: Video



In response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled speech before Congress on Wednesday, at least several hundred pro-Hamas activists, many carrying Palestinian flags, gathered around Capitol Hill to protest his address.

Blaze News' Julio Rosas captured videos of the anti-Israel protesters shouting, chasing, and shoving police officers stationed around the Capitol building and Union Station.

'Absolute chaos.'

Video from the demonstration showed some individuals in the mob attempting to pull police officers off of restrained and handcuffed agitators.

"Let them go! Let them go!" the crowd chanted at cops.

U.S. Park Police removed and secured an American flag at Union Station and withdrew from the chaos, Blaze News captured on video. Protesters followed the group of officers, shouting instructions to one another to grab the flag from officers.

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American flags posted outside of Union Station were removed by activists and replaced with Palestinian flags. A statue was defaced by protesters who wrote, "Hamas is coming."

Other photographs and videos showed demonstrators burning American and Israeli flags.

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Metropolitan Police officers deployed pepper spray outside of the Capitol building to break up the melee.

Rosas described the scene as "absolute chaos," writing in a post on X, "The mob continued to chase police officers to try to free protesters who had been arrested at Union Station. Pepper spray was eventually used to push the crowd back."

Rosas reported that law enforcement has detained some of the protesters.

Meanwhile, approximately half of the House and Senate Democrats refused to attend Netanyahu's address before Congress, choosing instead to align themselves with the activists. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) were among those who boycotted the prime minister's address.

In the chamber, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) held up a sign reading "Guilty of genocide."

"I will never back down in speaking truth to power," Tlaib stated. "The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Palestinians will not be erased. Solidarity with all those outside of these walls in the streets protesting and exercising their right to dissent."

Ocasio-Cortez called Netanyahu "a war criminal."

Vice President Kamala Harris (D) also did not attend Netanyahu's speech, citing a previously scheduled event. President Joe Biden and Harris will reportedly hold separate meetings with the Israeli prime minister on Thursday. Donald Trump is slated to sit down with Netanyahu on Friday.

Neither Biden nor Harris showed up to greet Netanyahu and his wife when they arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the No. 5 House Democrat, is reportedly a top candidate to replace Nancy Pelosi as the leader of House Democrats.

What are the details?

Jeffries reportedly met with House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) in a "secret meeting" on Sept. 1 while Congress was on recess, Politico reported. At that meeting, Jeffries likely secured Clyburn's support to become the next leader of House Democrats.

The 52-year-old New York Democrat purportedly summoned Clyburn after hearing that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is also privately vying for the position.

From Politico:

The 52-year-old Jeffries was concerned enough that he offered to fly to South Carolina to seek the counsel of the 82-year-old Clyburn. The younger lawmaker wanted to gently make sure his elder in the Congressional Black Caucus knew of Schiff’s quiet campaign — and to even more gently warn Clyburn about the risk of splitting votes between them and opening a path for the ambitious Californian.

In an interview with Politico, Clyburn indicated he would not block Jeffries from becoming the next leader. After all, Clyburn is 82 years old, while Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is 83 years old.

"There’s nothing I would ever do to impede the progress of our up-and-coming young Democrats and I see him as an up-and-coming young Democrat," Clyburn said. "He knows that, I didn’t have to tell him that — but I did."

Is Pelosi stepping down?

It is widely expected that if Democrats lose control of the House (which is almost certain), then Pelosi will step down from her position — even if she wins reelection to Congress.

Pelosi has led the party for nearly 20 years, but at 83 years of age, many in the party believe it could be the right time for new leadership. Still, her fundraising prowess alone (she has raised more than $1.25 billion for Democrats during her tenure as leader, according to the New York Times) will make her difficult to beat if she does not willingly concede control of the party.

But if she does, Democrats believe Jeffries could be the perfect fit for their party.

Democratic lawmakers who spoke with Politico described Jeffries as their "best option as leader because he’s the rare member who’s proficient at both the outside and inside game, skilled enough to carry the party’s message on television but also attuned to his colleague’s needs and wants," the news outlet explained.