Kamala Harris criticizes protesters who burned American flag in D.C. for supporting Hamas.
On a recent Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris issued a strong denouncement of protesters near the U.S. Capitol who expressed support for Hamas and burned an American flag in protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. In her statement, Harris emphasized that “hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation.”
The protests erupted as demonstrators clashed with police in opposition to U.S. backing of Israel. The situation escalated as protesters made their way to Union Station, a major transportation hub in the capital, where some replaced American flags with Palestinian flags and set an American flag ablaze under an effigy of Netanyahu.
According to U.S. Capitol Police, at least eight individuals were arrested for failing to disperse and engaging in acts of vandalism and destruction of public property. The protesters defaced statues with pro-Hamas graffiti, sending a clear message of support for the terrorist organization.
Netanyahu, in his address to Congress, defended Israel’s actions in response to Hamas attacks in Gaza, expressing gratitude to the Biden administration for their continued support. He condemned the protesters as “useful idiots” for aligning themselves with Hamas.
Later in the day, a group of Republican lawmakers took it upon themselves to raise new American flags outside Union Station to replace those that had been torn down by the protesters.
Harris reiterated her support for the right to peaceful protest but drew a firm line against antisemitism, hate, and violence, emphasizing that such behaviors are unacceptable in our nation.
