There was an anti-Israel protest in Washington, D.C., this past weekend, where many statues and monuments were vandalized. The protesters came from cities across the country, where they collectively dressed in red to symbolize the “red line” President Joe Biden has to draw.
Protesters shouted, “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here.” Following this call for violence, the protesters desecrated monuments and clashed with public service officers. These protesters deserved to be punished for their violence, but currently, police say no arrests have been made.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) took to X to voice his anger at the “Anti-American, pro-Hamas thugs [who] desecrated the statues of our veterans literally across the street from the White House, a blatant violation of federal law. On video.” He added that he “expects the Department of Justice to use every technique against them that it used against grandmas in MAGA hats on Jan. 6. And if it doesn’t now, it will next year.”
These protesters took their opportunity to yell at the park rangers working the area, shouting, “F*** you, fascist!” and “Piggy, piggy, oink, oink!” Another man wearing a Hamas headband held up a bloody face mask that depicted Biden and shouted, “Down, down occupation!” while another demonstrator lit an American flag on fire. Some protesters threw smoke flares just outside the White House gates. This is unacceptable conduct, and they deserve to be punished for their anti-American rhetoric. Condemning America in support of a terrorist group is deplorable considering the sacrifices made for our freedoms.
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Cotton compared this weekend’s protest to Jan. 6, 2021. The Jan. 6 riot saw thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump descend on the U.S. Capitol, with many breaking barriers and breaching the building. This also brought injuries to public safety officers, which is likely where Cotton drew the impression. The inherent disregard for both the law and the disrespect for national monuments (e.g., parts of the Capitol or statues in Lafayette Square) is understood in both instances despite the anti-Israel protesters not entering any buildings.
These protesters seem to lack the capacity to understand that the group they are protesting on behalf of is known for their terroristic activity. They are known to take people who disagree with them hostage, do not allow women to travel outside the home without a guardian, assault journalists, and brutally torture their captives. This is the same group that the U.N. envoy focusing on sexual violence in conflict reported that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Hamas committed rape, “sexualized torture,” and other cruel and inhumane treatment of women during its attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7. There are also “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing,” said Pramila Patten, a member of the U.N. special team. That is what those protesting in Washington, D.C., this weekend were advocating. They are anti-American and should be punished for their violence.