The Gaza War: Protestors shout “Allahu Akbar”, and burn the American flag in Washington
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Gaza War, as visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US Congress in Washington on Wednesday, thousands of protestors shouted “Allahu Akbar” slogans and burned the American flag, the media reported on Thursday.
The war started when the Hamas terrorists, who rule the Gaza Strip, invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killed nearly 1,300 Israelis, and took back around 250 hostages. In retaliation, Israel hit back and has killed nearly 38,000 Palestinians so far.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the streets of Washington DC on Wednesday to protest Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress. The massive protest, which was joined by activists, Palestine supporters, and anti-Israel protestors, went out of control when some of them lowered an American flag and burned it down a few blocks away from the US Congress.
Reports said the protestors shouted “Allahu Akbar” while burning the American flag and raising pro-Hamas, and anti-Israel slogans.
The incident happened in front of the Union Station, near the US Congress, the location where Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a Joint Session of the US Congress.
The protest turned violent after the demonstrators defaced monuments, vandalized walls and public properties, and burnt US flags.
According to a Fox News report, agitators were head chanting “Allahu Akbar”.
The US Capitol Police had to use pepper spray to control the crowd. Several protestors spray-painted walls and other public properties in the city with messages like “Free Gaza”, “All Zionists are bastards,” and “Free Palestine.”
The police arrested several people protesting against Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress. Viral videos on social media showed protestors lowering a huge American flag in front of the busy Union Station and burning it down, then they raised the flag of Palestine, which was much smaller.
There were also reports of protestors defacing some of the historic monuments in the city and writing Hamas over the wall and statue.
“US flag set ablaze, 23 arrested as thousands protest Netanyahu’s D.C. visit,” The Washington Post reported.
“Though most demonstrators walked and chanted peacefully, there were some clashes with law enforcement, and D.C. and Capitol Police said they arrested 15 people in total. The U.S. Park Police arrested eight people,” it said.
In a Joint Meeting of the US Congress with lawmakers, Netanyahu on Wednesday thanked the US for its support and also sought the country to increase its military aid to Israel.
He condemned the anti-Israel protests being held across the country. Besides protestors in Washington, the Israeli PM faced opposition from several Democratic politicians, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who, along with others, boycotted Netanyahu’s address.
