Capitol Police Take Israel-Hamas Protesters into Custody

Dozens of demonstrators gathered in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The protesters, many holding signs saying, “Protect Immigrants & Asylees,” chanted under the Capitol dome as senators prepared to leave Washington, D.C., for the holidays, The Hill reported.

One long banner read, “The people chose life. Ceasefire now!”

U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) arrested members of the group as they began protesting, escorting about 60 demonstrators out of the rotunda one by one with their wrists zip-tied, the outlet said.

The Washington Examiner reported that before being arrested, demonstrators scattered children’s shoes on the ground to honor the Palestinian children who have died in the conflict.

The protesters had entered the building as though they were going to take part in the public tours offered by the Capitol Visitor Center, according to the USCP, the Examiner reported.

“We were aware of a group’s potential plan to take a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building and then start a protest. It is against the law to demonstrate inside the Congressional Buildings, so we brought in additional officers to be prepared for the moment the group would break the law,” USCP said in an emailed statement, The Hill reported.

“The group was screened when they entered the building. Once they broke the law, roughly 60 people were immediately arrested for D.C. Code § 22–1307 — Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding.”

Earlier, New York Communities for Change (NYCC) posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the demonstration.

“BREAKING: 80+ movement leaders including our Co-Director @oliviarising from across the US are protesting at the Capitol Rotunda, risking arrest to stop Biden’s $106 billion deadly deal in the Senate We need a Permanent Cease Fire now! #CeaseFireNow #DivestFromDeath,” NYC posted on X.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., the GOP’s lead negotiator for trying to work out a deal on funding Israel, the war in Ukraine, and passing new border security reforms, says there’s no chance of reaching an agreement before Christmas, The Hill reported earlier Tuesday.

“We’re clearly not going to have text complete this week to be able to have a vote to be able to pull this stuff together,” Lankford said. “We’ll keep working until we get it done. We’re all going to be back in January on this, but it’s going to take a while to be able to finish up all the text.”

The Examiner reported that Action Center on Race and Economy, Adalah Justice Project, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights were the sponsoring organizations for Tuesday’s protest.