A group of House Republicans restored the U.S. flags outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., that were taken down and burned in a demonstration Wednesday protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
Protesters calling for Netanyahu’s arrest lowered and burned flags outside Union Station on Wednesday and raised smaller Palestinian flags in their place. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reposted a video of House Republicans reciting the Pledge of Allegiance outside Union Station after they raised new U.S. flags in Columbus Circle.
“Earlier today, pro-Hamas protesters took down the American flags at Union Station, burned them and raised Palestinian flags. Tonight, we righted their wrong. American flags are once again flying over Union Station. We will not let the terrorist mob win,” Johnson wrote on the social platform X.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) posted a video of the lawmakers putting up the U.S. flag outside the train station, which is just a few blocks away from the Capitol building. He said it took some time to raise the flags because the protesters “broke the connections,” but D.C. police officers offered zip ties to help.
“Earlier today, terrorist sympathizers tore down the American flags at Union Station, burned them, and raised the Palestinian flag in its place. After votes tonight, a group of members, including many veterans and the Speaker of the House, took our flag back and raised it,” Crenshaw wrote on X.
A U.S. Park Police captain confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday that two of the three flags were taken down from the poles outside Union Station. Videos posted online showed protesters chanting as the U.S. flag burned.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police said six protesters were arrested at the scene Wednesday. At least five protesters were also arrested in the House gallery during Netanyahu’s address, and another five were arrested while marching on Constitution Ave.
The protest came as Netanyahu delivered his address to Congress that afternoon, during which he denounced the protesters gathering outside his speech and who demonstrated on college campuses earlier this year. He said his critics stood “with evil” and should be “ashamed of themselves.”