By Mike Heuer
JULY 24, 2024
1 of 6 | Capitol Police deployed pepper spray when some pro-Palestinian protesters became violent during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo
July 24 (UPI) -- Capitol Police arrested six people for disrupting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon. They also used pepper spray on protesters outside the event.
The six people attended the joint session, and five of them wore shirts in the House Gallery that read "Seal The Deal Now" in reference to a potential cease-fire and hostage-return deal between Israel and Hamas.
Five of those arrested were in the House Gallery while a sixth was arrested afterward. All are charged with illegally disrupting a congressional event.
"All of them were immediately removed from the Gallery and arrested," Capitol Police spokeswoman Brianna Burch said on social media. "Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is against the law."
Local law in Washington, D.C., makes it illegal to "parade, demonstrate or picket within any of the Capitol Buildings."
One of the six arrested is Carmit Palty Katzir, who is an Israeli whose father and bother were held hostage and killed by Hamas in Gaza.
Capitol Police also used pepper spray to disrupt protesters outside the Capitol's House chamber while Netanyahu addressed the joint session of Congress.
Capitol Police said some in the crowd grew violent while at the intersection of Constitution Avenue NW and 1st Street.
"The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line," Capitol Police said in a post on X. "We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line."
Netanyahu is staying at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., where someone on Tuesday released maggots, meal worms and crickets onto carpeting and a table reserved for the Israeli prime minister and his staff.
"We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal," a Watergate Hotel spokesperson told The Hill. "We are cooperating with authorities, who are handling the situation."
Members of the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement posted a video of the maggots, meal worms and crickets on social media.
The group said fire alarms were triggered for about half an hour inside the Watergate Hotel to ensure Netanyahu and his staff did not get any rest.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had invited Netanyahu to address the joint session of Congress.
One of the six arrested is Carmit Palty Katzir, who is an Israeli whose father and bother were held hostage and killed by Hamas in Gaza.
Capitol Police also used pepper spray to disrupt protesters outside the Capitol's House chamber while Netanyahu addressed the joint session of Congress.
Capitol Police said some in the crowd grew violent while at the intersection of Constitution Avenue NW and 1st Street.
"The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line," Capitol Police said in a post on X. "We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line."
Netanyahu is staying at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., where someone on Tuesday released maggots, meal worms and crickets onto carpeting and a table reserved for the Israeli prime minister and his staff.
"We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal," a Watergate Hotel spokesperson told The Hill. "We are cooperating with authorities, who are handling the situation."
Members of the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement posted a video of the maggots, meal worms and crickets on social media.
The group said fire alarms were triggered for about half an hour inside the Watergate Hotel to ensure Netanyahu and his staff did not get any rest.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had invited Netanyahu to address the joint session of Congress.
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