Tens of thousands plan to march on the Capitol during Netanyahu’s speech

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly reflect expected Democratic attendance at Netanyahu’s speech.

A coalition of advocacy groups will gather Wednesday outside the U.S. Capitol to protest the visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to converge in D.C. tomorrow for a national mobilization to demand the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu,” an organizer with the group told The Hill. 

Netanyahu will address a joint meeting of Congress at 2 p.m.

Dozens of senior Democrats, including Vice President Harris will not attend the speech. Harris will be on a previously scheduled trip to Indiana, while others have chosen to skip the remarks.

Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) is organizing the protest, which has been sponsored by hundreds of groups from across the nation, according to ANSWER spokesperson Zoe Alexandra. ANSWER was founded in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and helps organize large anti-war protests in the U.S.

The demonstration will begin at 11 a.m. at Third Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Buses will bring protesting groups from as far away as Indiana, Georgia and Illinois, according to protest organizers.

During the rally outside the Capitol, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, United Auto Workers executive board member Brandon Mancilla, American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein and actress Susan Sarandon will speak. 

Alongside ANSWER, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network,  the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), the People’s Forum, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and more than a dozen other organizations are co-organizing the event. 

“The millions of people who have mobilized in the streets and the voting booth demanding a permanent cease-fire and an end to military funding to Israel have been clear — there is no going back to the status quo,” Ahmad Abuznaid, an executive director at USCPR, released in a statement. 

“The U.S. is the Israeli military’s largest funder and enabler, sending at least $17.9 billion in weapons to Israel in 2024 alone, and has thus become deeply implicated in genocide. If Biden were fit to lead, he would stop funding genocide and turn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over to the ICC, as the Lemkin Institute has demanded,” he added, referring to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

The coalition of groups also denounced the U.S. Capitol Police for putting up physical barricades around the Capitol in anticipation of protests. 

“It is shameful that taxpayer money is being used to turn the Capitol Building into Fort Netanyahu. Millions of dollars have been spent to fortify the area so that a genocidal war criminal can feel secure. But we will not be intimidated and are determined to exercise our First Amendment rights,” Brian Becker, national director at ANSWER, said in a statement to The Hill.

The Capitol Police has announced a series of related road closures around the Capitol. 

“The USCP anticipates a lot of demonstrators to show up. The Department respects everyone’s First Amendment rights, however all demonstrations must be done peacefully and legally. It is illegal to cross an established police line, such as the bike rack barriers that the USCP uses around Capitol Grounds,” the agency wrote in a statement.

This protest is expected to be the largest anti-Netanyahu protest as he addresses Congress, but there are others planned across the city as well. 

T’ruah, a rabbinic organization calling for human rights, will hold a “Shacharit for Peace & Justice” at Union Station Plaza at 10 a.m. Wednesday. 

UnXeptable will host a “Netanyahu Non-Grata” protest outside the U.S. Capitol on Delaware Avenue and First Street NE at noon, and the Peace Bloc will also host a Netanyahu protest at 1 p.m. on Capitol grounds.  

On Tuesday, a group of protesters also occupied the Cannon House Office Building.

Updated at 9:39 a.m.