Capitol Police clash with group protesting "violently" outside Democratic headquarters during demonstration over Israel-Hamas war
Police and protesters clashed outside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Wednesday night during a demonstration for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, the latest reflection of boiling tensions over the bloody conflict.
Scores of Democratic representatives and candidates, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were inside the building for a campaign reception when it was interrupted by chanting outside. Protesters said they wanted to block entrances and exits to force politicians to encounter their candlelight vigil and their calls for an end to the fighting. Many of them wore black shirts saying "Cease Fire Now."
However, the situation swiftly devolved. U.S. Capitol Police said about 200 people were "illegally and violently protesting" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington. The agency said that the group "was not peaceful" and failed to obey orders to move away from the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
Capitol Police officers pushed protesters back, pulled people from the building and cleared them from the area after the crowd pushed dumpsters in front of the exits, pepper sprayed officers and attempted to pick up a bike rack, the agency said.
"When demonstrations cross the line into illegal activity, it is our responsibility to maintain order and ensure people's safety," the department said in a statement.
But protesters blamed police for the violence, saying officers rushed them without warning and were solely responsible for any pepper spray.
IfNotNow, one of the organizers of the event, said Thursday in a statement, "Police brutally attacked these nonviolent anti-war activists who were bringing their messaging for a ceasefire outside of a fundraiser event held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."
"Without any warning or request to disperse, the police rushed members of the interfaith vigil and protest, wielding pepper spray and pellet guns. Police threw protesters down the stairs, sprayed pepper spray, and hit protesters with bikes," IfNotNow said. "They knocked one protester to the ground, dragged them by their hair, and then knocked them back down the steps."
The group shared several videos and photos of the clash, including one that appears to clearly show an officer pepper spraying a protester.
"It is shameful the way that nonviolent protesters and members of our community were met with violence tonight," said Dani Noble, who came from Philadelphia for the demonstration. "It is absolutely shameful."
Noble said police, some of whom were wearing riot gear, started "pulling on folks that are disabled or have chronic illnesses, pulling people to the ground."
Inside the Democratic headquarters, police rushed into the reception and directed lawmakers to the basement, according to Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif. Some were later evacuated in police vehicles.
Capitol Police said six officers were treated for minor injuries and one protester, a 24-year-old from Woodbridge, New York, was arrested for assaulting an officer. The agency said an officer witnessed the suspect slam another officer into a garage door and punch a female officer in the face.
Video posted on social media showed shoving and scuffles as police moved in.
The Metropolitan Police Department said its officers also responded to the disturbance. Congressional staffers received an alert telling them no one would be permitted to enter or exit any House office buildings, but authorities later reopened the entrances.
Sherman accused protesters of trying to break into the Democratic headquarters in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. However, protesters denied that was their intention.
"Protesters were nonviolently engaging in civil disobedience by attempting to block some of the doors to the building while chanting 'Ceasefire Now,'" IfNotNow said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the protest and praised the U.S. Capitol Police for its response.
"As Americans, we must unite with one voice in steadfast support of our ally Israel," he said in a statement. "I want to thank the officers with the U.S. Capitol Police who worked quickly to evacuate members, staff and civilians and arrest those engaged in violence. Congress will not be intimidated by this vile display of anti-Semitism."
The House's top Democrats, including Jeffries, said in response to the incident that some of the protesters outside "escalated their activity in a manner that exceeded a peaceful demonstration."
"We are thankful for the service and professionalism of the U.S. Capitol Police officers who worked to ensure that members, staff and visitors were able to safely exit," they said. "We strongly support the First Amendment right to freedom of expression and encourage anyone exercising that right to do so peacefully."
The protest was organized by a coalition of groups, including If Not Now and Jewish Voice for Peace Action, that have spearheaded other demonstrations in Washington and elsewhere.
Wednesday's clashes were the latest example of roiling tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas.
Last week, a large number of House Democrats joined nearly all Republicans in voting to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, over her criticism of the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. Tlaib, who has family in the West Bank, came under heavy criticism for not immediately condemning Hamas after the attack. She since has called out the militant group while also calling for a cease-fire.
President Joe Biden has also faced increasing pressure from the Democratic Party's left flank over his support for Israel's military operation. He has resisted calls for a cease-fire, instead saying there should be pauses in the fighting to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the potential extraction of hostages.
Among the participants Wednesday night was Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, who interrupted Biden's speech at a recent fundraiser in Minneapolis.
She said Democrats are "not listening to the people who they claim to represent," adding that "actions like this are only going to increase."
"We are not slowing down," she said. "The call for a cease-fire is going to keep growing. And our representatives need to take action, yesterday."
The protest unfolded as Israel is considering a proposal that would see Hamas release some hostages in exchange for a three-to-five-day cease-fire in the war, CBS News has learned. Aid would also be permitted into Gaza during a cessation of hostilities. Under the proposed deal, Hamas would release an unknown number of women and children, two officials with knowledge of the negotiations said.
President Biden said Wednesday that the U.S. believed there were "somewhere between 50 and 100 hostages" in Gaza. So far, only four of the captives, two Americans and two Israelis, have been released by Hamas. During those releases, short-term, targeted pauses in the fighting helped ensure safe transfers of the hostages back to Israel.
The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday voted in favor of a resolution calling for pauses in the fighting in Gaza to allow for the provision of humanitarian aid.