By Kanishka Singh and Allende Miglietta
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Capitol Police arrested Jewish activists protesting against U.S. military support for Israel inside a congressional building on Tuesday, a day before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech to Congress.
The protesters, organized by activist group Jewish Voice for Peace, wore red T-shirts bearing the phrases “not in our name” and “Jews say stop arming Israel.” Some carried banners reading “ceasefire now” and “let Gaza live.”
Protests have been planned to coincide with Netanyahu’s visit in which he will meet President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“For the past 9 months, we’ve witnessed countless horrors in Gaza, committed in our names and funded by our government,” Jewish Voice for Peace wrote on social media.
It said over 250 protesters were arrested and that there were 400 demonstrators in attendance.
Police did not immediately give arrest figures. A police statement said: “We told the people, who legally entered, to stop or they would be arrested. They did not stop, so we are arresting them.”
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Allende Miglietta in Washington; editing by Rami Ayyub and Rosalba O’Brien)
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