Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized statues and threw items at a National Park Service ranger near the White House during a Saturday protest calling for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to multiple videos.
“Surround the White House for Gaza” was held Saturday afternoon and deemed a “national mobilization” to call for an “immediate ceasefire, an immediate end to the siege on Gaza, the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners, and an end to the occupation of Palestine,” according to a description of the event.
More vandalism: Anti-Israel crowd cheered after a red smoke bomb was popped on the Rochambeau Statue, which has been heavily defaced with graffiti. pic.twitter.com/TjsGOJOYvo
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) June 8, 2024
Videos posted on social media appeared to show protesters vandalized statues, harassed a National Park Service ranger and set off smoke bombs.
Workers scrub graffiti from statues in Lafayette Square after Palestine protests. pic.twitter.com/aCDFY5aXmR
— Storyful Viral (@StoryfulViral) June 10, 2024
Attendees at the protest also shouted anti-Israel slogans, including “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” according to a video feed from Fox 5 Washington D.C.
Anti-Israel protesters formed a mob and chased US Park Police and Secret Service out of Lafayette Square after officers apparently tried to arrest someone. Police are no longer inside the park and are on the boundaries of the protest: “F*ck the police!” pic.twitter.com/N5EctSe8Ya
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) June 8, 2024
Israeli forces rescued four hostages from Gaza on Saturday, the IDF announced. Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27 and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were freed during raids on two locations in Nuseirat.
“Israeli special forces conducted a complex hostage rescue mission and successfully rescued four of our hostages from Hamas,” IDF spokesman RAdm. Daniel Hagari said in a video. “They are back home in Israel. They are alive, they are well.”
One speaker at the rally called the Israeli rescue a “massacre,” according to the Fox 5 video.
President Biden is in France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, as well as a state dinner.
