Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday was marked by protests, pepper spray, and poignant demonstrations both inside and outside the halls of power.
As Netanyahu prepared to address Congress, two distinct groups of protesters made their voices heard in starkly different ways.
Outside the Capitol, the air grew thick with tension—and pepper spray. Members of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) faced off against Capitol Police in a confrontation that quickly escalated. "We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line," the police announced, as protesters pressed against their cordon.
Meanwhile, inside the chamber, a more subdued protest unfolded. Six family members of hostages held in Gaza stood silently, their yellow shirts bearing a simple, heart-wrenching plea: "Sign the Deal Now." Their silent demonstration spoke volumes about the human cost of the ongoing conflict.
In a twist that seemed to epitomize the day's tensions, these family members—who had been invited by the Biden administration—found themselves detained for their peaceful protest. "We got arrested at this speech because we wore those shirts, just saying 'Seal the deal.' That was our crime," said Carmit Palty Katzir, sister of hostage Elad Katzir, who was murdered in captivity.
Netanyahu's address to Congress, his first since the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the current war, was a study in contrasts. Inside, he thanked both President Biden and former President Trump for their support of Israel. Outside, protesters burned American and Israeli flags, hoisting the Palestinian flag in their place.
As night fell and American flags once again flew over Union Station, replacing the briefly hoisted Palestinian ones, the echoes of the day's events lingered—a testament to the ongoing struggle for peace in a region torn by conflict, and the ripples it sends across the globe.
* NBC News contributed to this article.
