News/Commentary

Dems evacuate after pro-Palestinian protesters swarm DNC headquarters in DC

November 16, 2023 | | Print Article

Several top Democrat lawmakers were evacuated from the Democrat National Committee’s headquarters Wednesday because of violent pro-Palestinian “protesters” who clashed with the police.

“Scores of Democratic representatives and candidates, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were inside the building for a campaign reception when it was interrupted by chanting outside,” according to the Associated Press.

“Protesters said they wanted to block entrances and exits to force politicians to encounter their candlelight vigil and their calls for an end to the fighting. Many of them wore black shirts saying ‘Cease Fire Now,'” the AP reported.

But the situation quickly devolved, according to the U.S. Capitol Police, which said in an X statement that 150 people were “illegally and violently protesting” and had to be forcibly removed from the area.

Watch what happened below:

During the altercation, top Democrats were evacuated from the DNC.

“[T]he Democratic leaders — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 Democrat — were inside as the clash between protesters and police erupted,” according to CNN.

“About 10 members were there, according to the source, including Suzan DelBene, the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell. The members had been meeting with House candidates who were in town for training sessions and to connect with fellow Democrats,” CNN notes.

By 10:30 pm, the authorities reportedly had the situation under control, although several officers had sustained injuries.

“Tonight 6 officers were treated for injuries – ranging from minor cuts to being pepper sprayed to being punched. One person has been arrested for assault on an officer,” the Capitol Police announced on Twitter.

The Democrat lawmakers at the scene were not pleased by what happened. One of them, Rep. Brad Sherman, contrasted the evening’s violent “protest” with the completely peaceful, organized March for Israel that had occurred a day earlier.

“The one point I want to make is, yesterday, there were 200,000 pro-Israel demonstrators, with a permit, entirely peaceful,” he told CNN’s Abby Phillips.

“And, here, you have a demonstration, less than 1000th as large, that’s also getting publicity and it’s getting publicity because their willingness to attack police – as they did with pepper spray – is a force multiplier,” he added.

However, the so-called “protesters” had a different story. In statements, various ostensibly Jewish organizations claimed they’d showed up to protest peacefully but that the cops had suddenly attacked them out of nowhere.

“Tonight, hundreds of peaceful anti-war activists came to the DNC to call for an end to bombs and violence in order to save Palestinian and Israeli lives. They were met with brutal assaults by the police. The Democrats need to decide: will they stand on the side of peace and justice, or will they continue to support war and genocide?” Beth Miller, the political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, said in one statement.

Eva Borgwardt, IfNotNow’s national spokesperson, said in an additional statement that “instead of heeding our call for a ceasefire, police violently attacked nonviolent protesters with pepper spray.”

Keep in mind that all this anger from members of the Democrat Party base is being directed at the Democrat Party, not the Republican Party.

Indeed, speaking with one reporter, one female “protest” attendee had nothing but denunciations for the party and its response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“We’re outside the DNC, we’re outside the Democratic Party headquarters, because this party claims to be on the side of life and peace and equality and we’re saying we want them to live up to their values and oppose this horrific war and call for a cease fire now!” she said.

Listen:

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Vivek Saxena
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