Inside the building around 3 p.m., hundreds of protesters chanted “Let Gaza live” and “Stop the genocide” and sat in a circle around a banner that read “No one is free until everyone is free.” Wearing red shirts that read “Jews stop arming Israel,” they clapped as they chanted “Not in our name.” Protesters carried banners, including one that read: “Tikkun Olam = Free Palestine,” a reference to a Hebrew phrase that means mending the world. Many protesters wore handmade prayer shawls emblazoned with poppies, the Palestinians’ national symbol, and the words “Never again for anyone.”
After about 20 minutes, the Capitol Police asked the protesters to stop the demonstration. Although some protesters left, many remained. After about 10 minutes, officers began clearing the area using zip ties to remove protesters from the rotunda. As Capitol Police officers zip-tied the protesters, the group recited the Jewish prayer Shema and chanted “Free Palestine” and “Let Gaza live.” Around 4:30 p.m., the police removed all the protesters from the rotunda.
“Demonstrations not permitted inside congressional buildings,” Capitol Police Wrote in X. “We asked those who entered legally to stop or face arrest. They don’t stop, so we arrest them.
The demonstration comes amid a critical moment for US-Israeli relations and Gaza ceasefire talks. Thousands of people are expected to rally on the National Mall on Wednesday to protest Netanyahu’s speech and demand an end to the war. Relatives of the hostages also traveled to Washington this week to meet with officials, hold news conferences and rallies and attend Netanyahu’s speech, hoping they can persuade the prime minister to sign a deal soon to free their loved ones.
Many of the demonstrators on Tuesday said they would join the anti-Netanyahu demonstration, but wanted to hold their own, separate protest focused on Jewish people opposing Netanyahu and sending arms to Israel. Demonstrators demanding an immediate ceasefire have been a fixture in the district for months, protesting in the halls of Congress, outside the homes of presidents, in front of the White House and on city streets.
Among the protesters Tuesday afternoon was Benjamin Kersten, a 31-year-old doctoral student studying art history at the University of California, Los Angeles, who arrived in the area on a red-eye flight Tuesday morning. Kersten, who is Jewish and one of the leaders of the UCLA student camp, said she wants to make it clear to politicians that Jewish defense is not synonymous with arming Israel. Instead, he called Netanyahu a “war criminal” citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the civilians, including killed and wounded children.
“Our security comes at a time when everyone has the resources they need to thrive,” he said. “Our call for a ceasefire is fundamentally rooted in the belief that all life is precious. So our call for a ceasefire is a call for the protection of hostages and a cessation of hostilities.
Rabbi Linda Holtzman, president of the Social Justice Community in Philadelphia, said a “mass carnage” was taking place in Gaza and that the path to a cease-fire would include ending US military aid to Israel. Holtzman said that a political decision must be made about Israel’s future, and that he sees a future where Palestinians and Israelis decide together.
“It’s incredibly important for me to be here as a rabbi and as a Jew because at the heart of the Jewish tradition is the sanctity of life,” Holtzman said. “We cannot stand by and watch people get killed. This seems to me to be an act of extreme anti-Semitism.
House and Senate office buildings and the U.S. Capitol were open to the public on Tuesday, as on most days, people could enter the buildings and bypass security. People are arrested only when they begin to demonstrate, and only after police warn them to disperse, said Capitol Police spokesman Tim Barber.
“We see demonstrations almost daily on Capitol Hill. Many times people try to protest inside the buildings of Congress — which is illegal,” Barber said. “The moment they refuse to stop the illegal demonstration, we arrest them. It’s so routine that even in mass arrests like today – a massive effort – our officers can quickly arrest everyone and take them away to clear the area.
Rep. Daniel Gildy (D-Mich.) called the Capitol Police after protesters outside the office “violently pounded on the office doors, shouted loudly and tried to force their way into the office,” during the demonstration. From his chief of staff, Mitchell Reward. The Congressman and his staff were safe and held accountable.
“As Capitol Police escorted our protesters out of the rotunda, people continued to sing, chant and make noise as our elected officials heard the message,” Jewish Voice for Peace spokeswoman Meyerson-Knox said in a statement. “The target of this demonstration is not Congressman Guilty.”
Hours after the demonstration at the artillery building, relatives of hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attack gathered on the National Mall to demand the release of their family members. They chanted, “Bring them home now,” and flew Israeli and American flags next to a sign that read, “Seal the deal now,” with the U.S. capital behind them.
“I’m begging Bibi Netanyahu, there’s a deal on the table and you have to take it,” said Aviva Siegel, a former hostage released in November.
At the rally, Alon Gad spoke about his experience on October 7, when Hamas fighters forced him, his wife, Yarden Roman, and their then-three-year-old daughter, Geffen, into a car and drove them toward Gaza. The family decided to jump out of the car and run. Alon Ghat ran with their daughter and turned back to find his wife hiding behind a tree.
Yarden Roman was recaptured and released in a November deal. Alon Ghat’s sister, Carmel Ghat, was taken that day and is being held in Gaza.
“We know there is one person who has to decide that this deal should be sealed, and that is Benjamin Netanyahu,” he said. “He must decide not to delay this deal. We are here to remind him of that.
Mariana Sotomayor contributed to this report.
