United States – US Vice-President Kamala Harris, Democrats, and Republicans denounced on Wednesday protesters burning American flags and putting pro-Hamas graffiţi outside the Union Station in Washington.
The protests were held in parallel with a speech to Congress by Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. Mass protests took place near the building of the U. S. Capitol, where people demanded to refuse to provide U.S. military assistance to Israel during the war with Hamas militants in Gaza, as reported by Reuters.
Protests During Netanyahu’s Congressional Speech
After Netanyahu’s speech, some of these demonstrators assembled in front of Union Station. Outside the historic train station, they waved and raised American flags, set American flags on fire, and painted over a big statue with the phrases “Hamas is coming” and “Free Gaza.”
Official Responses to the Protests
In a statement on Thursday, Harris, the Democrats’ presidential candidate, said that she is fully aware of anyone who is affiliated with Hamas in any way.
“I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way,” Harris said.
Harris and Biden were expected to have separate meetings with Netanyahu later on Thursday. There were plans for more protests outside the White House.
Clashes and Police Response
Several skirmishes erupted on Wednesday when the protesters marched through downtown Toronto before some of them moved near Union Station; police officers used pepper spray on some of the thousands of demonstrators there and made some arrests, as reported by Reuters.
The flag burning and graffiti near Union Station were heavily condemned by the Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, and the Democratic Party’s leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries.