Thousands of anti-Israel protesters converged in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, dyeing the city’s fountains blood red and releasing maggots and other insects at the Watergate Hotel, where some of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s delegation was staying.
A video posted by the Palestinian Youth Movement showed insects scattered across a table between Israeli and American flags. The group claimed they disrupted the hotel to ensure Netanyahu and his entourage had “no peace.”
The protests, centred on Capitol Hill, targeted President Biden and Netanyahu’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Demonstrators displayed signs accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and erected a paper mache, blood-soaked Biden above the crowd. They also fashioned a large Netanyahu head with hands dripping in red paint, accompanied by a sign calling him “Prime Minister of Genocide.”
Due to the size of the protest, additional security was provided by outside agencies, including the New York Police Department. One protest speaker criticized the NYPD for sending officers to protect Netanyahu, accusing them of safeguarding a “genocidal lunatic.” The NYPD did not respond to requests for comment.
