Vice President Joins Bipartisan Criticism of Acts During Pro-Palestinian Protest
On July 25, US Vice-President Kamala Harris condemned acts of flag burning and pro-Hamas graffiti that occurred during a pro-Palestinian protest outside Union Station in Washington on July 24. The protests coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and were sparked by US military aid to Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Protesters, some of whom were holding Palestinian flags, burned American flags and spray-painted messages such as “Hamas is coming” and “Free Gaza” on a monument. These acts were met with bipartisan outrage, with Harris, along with Democratic and Republican leaders, denouncing them as unpatriotic and abhorrent.
In her statement, Harris emphasized that she condemned any association with Hamas, reaffirming that the American flag symbolizes the nation’s ideals and should never be desecrated. This condemnation followed a day of protests that included clashes with police, resulting in some arrests and the use of pepper spray to control the crowd. Harris and President Biden were set to meet with Netanyahu later that day, as more protests were planned outside the White House.
