Capitol Police Arrest Dozens of Pro-Hamas Protesters Who Invaded the Senate

Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes Photography

A Swarm the Senate Rally at the Atrium in the Hart Office Building at 200 Independence Avenue, NE, Washington DC, January 31, 2020.

Pro-Hamas demonstrators flooded the Hart Senate Office Building on Tuesday morning illegally, voicing their support for Hamas and denouncing US military aid to Israel. The protest unfolded as lawmakers prepared to vote on contentious resolutions to halt a $20 billion arms package to Israel.

Clad in striking red T-shirts emblazoned with messages like “Stop Arming Israel,” and “Fund Housing, Not Genocide,” and chanting “Free Palestine!” and “No more money for Israel’s crimes,” dozens of protesters surged into the Senate Building.

Footage circulating online vividly captured the scene as protesters pushed past Capitol Police and filled the building’s lobby, their voices echoing in the marble halls. The intense display of fervor, aimed at drawing attention to what they see as U.S. complicity in civilian suffering, quickly attracted the attention of onlookers and media outlets.

BREAKING: Pro-Palestine protesters flood the Hart Senate Building, urging Senators to stop U.S. weapon sales to Israel ?#senate #protest #palestine #protestors #unitedstates #BreakingNews

pic.twitter.com/1LDGhzOBkP

— Wake Up World (@wakeupwxrld) November 19, 2024

If you’re wondering who was behind the protest, suffice it to say that the measures had been introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), to block the arms sale, citing concerns over civilian casualties and the humanitarian toll of Israel’s offensive against Hamas. Sanders, a renowned JINO, described the military campaign as an “illegal and indiscriminate bombing campaign” that wrought widespread destruction and loss of life.

At least 44 people were arrested inside the Hart Senate Office Building, according to the US Capitol Police. Authorities reported that some of those detained faced charges of assaulting officers, though specific details of the alleged incidents were not immediately released. The arrests underscore the increasingly confrontational tone of the Pro-Hamas activism in the US, as frustration grows in the wake of the election of President-elect Donald J. Trump, a long-time friend of Israel and the Jewish-American community, and Washington’s staunch support for Israel’s military actions against Hamas terrorists.

These protests are not new or stopping. Below is 1 of many protests specifically at The Hart Senate Building from nearly a year ago (12/11/23) calling for an arms embargo where mostly Jewish protesters chant #NotInOurName. Again, ignored by most corporate media #FreePalestine https://t.co/uxWpJ9g91A pic.twitter.com/ilErbzicaR

— #StopCopCity (@ChuckModi1) November 19, 2024

“Every day we keep sending weapons to Israel is a day dozens of Palestinian children and families are horrifically murdered using our tax dollars. This week, Senators will clearly go on the record with their stance on genocide in the first vote in US history to directly block weapons to Israel,” said Sandra Tamari, executive director of Adalah Justice Project, in a public statement.

“They must do what the Biden administration has failed to do and what the American people are demanding: block this weapons package and support a full arms embargo on Israel,” she added.

?NOW: Pro-Palestine protesters chant “STOP ARMING ISRAEL” outside Hart Senate Office Building. There is a large police presence and the crowd size is growing. More to come. pic.twitter.com/UGtgQV5U2c

— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) November 19, 2024

On October 7, 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack, the Adalah Justice Project tweeted a picture of terrorists breaking through the border fence with Israel, writing, “No cage goes unchallenged.”

No cage goes unchallenged pic.twitter.com/Vo0VZFqpPL

— #EndTheSiegeOnGaza (@AdalahJustice) October 7, 2023

In October 2023, AJP and American Muslims for Palestine published a statement calling on the Biden Administration to “facilitate an immediate ceasefire and address the root cause of violence, that is, Israel’s Apartheid regime, and specifically in Gaza, Israel’s brutal siege and blockade.” According to the two NGOs, “While ignoring the plight of Palestinians, this unwavering support undercuts the moral ground that the U.S. claims to hold in promoting ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ worldwide. The U.S. is implicated and responsible for the continued escalations in this case.”

According to NGO Monitor, in 2021, Adalah’s total income was $1.18 million; total expenses were $1.15 million.

Adalah’s donors include Switzerland (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs), European Union, Broederlijk Delen (Belgium), Bread for the World-EED (Germany), Oxfam Novib (Netherlands), Christian Aid (UK), UNDP, and Open Society Foundation.

Based on financial information submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, in accordance with the Israeli NGO transparency law, Adalah received $7,309,444 from foreign governmental bodies in 2012-2024.

In 2021-2023, Adalah was an implementing partner of a $2 million project funded by Switzerland for the “Promotion and respect of human rights, gender equality and the international humanitarian law.”

Other implementing partners include 7amleh, Gisha, Hamoked, MIFTAH, Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Physicians for Human Rights -Israel (PHR-I), Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), and Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC).