Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris condemned demonstrators who voiced support for Hamas and burned an American flag near the U.S. Capitol to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress on Wednesday, saying in a statement that "hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation."
Harris, now the likely Democratic nominee for president after President Biden dropped his reelection bid, denounced the protesters who engaged in "despicable acts" and "dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric."
"I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation," the vice president said in the statement issued by her office. "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."
On Wednesday, demonstrators protesting U.S. support for Israel clashed with police near the Capitol before eventually reaching nearby Union Station, the capital's main train hub. Some protesters climbed up the flagpoles in front of the station and replaced the American flags with Palestinian flags. One American flag was set ablaze under an effigy of Netanyahu.
U.S. Capitol Police said at least eight people were arrested outside the train station after failing to disperse Wednesday afternoon. The crowd, police said, "damaged and destroyed park property, including vandalizing statues and fountains, tearing down and burning flags, and starting several small fires."
Demonstrators sprayed pro-Hamas graffiti on several statues outside the train station, including one message reading "Hamas is coming" in large red letters.
Inside the Capitol, Netanyahu delivered a defiant address to a joint meeting of Congress defending Israel's war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas attacks across Israel on Oct. 7. He thanked the Biden administration for its continued support of Israel and denounced pro-Hamas protesters as "useful idiots."
Later in the evening, a group of Republican lawmakers helped raise new American flags outside Union Station to replace those that were torn down.
In her statement, Harris said: "I support the right to peacefully protest, but let's be clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation."
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