WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators converged on Washington, D.C., Saturday to call for a halt to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and protest the Biden administration’s support of Israel and its continued military campaign in Gaza.
Although the protests were mostly peaceful, several seized the opportunity to deface buildings across the nation’s capital, including vandalizing the outside gate of the Executive Mansion with red paint, staining the white brick with blood-like hand prints, as per The New York Post.
Graffiti messages that read “Death to Israel” and “Glory 2 the Martyrs” were sprayed on buildings near the Israeli embassy, according to images shared on X.
“In our backyard: ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Glory to our Martyrs,’ among other violent antisemitic graffiti spotted in Washington DC. #WhereIsTheOutrage,” the Israeli embassy to the United States said in an X post.
The images posted by the embassy also showed graffiti messages reading, “Free Gaza” and “F–k Israel,” and another message written in neon paint, that read, “Gaza is going to win.”
The Metropolitan Police Department said only one adult male was arrested during the hourslong march, according to Fox News.
“During the event, several minor incidents of property damage and vandalism were reported to police. One adult male was arrested for Destruction of Property in the 700 block of 17th Street, Northwest. In addition, MPD is currently investigating acts of vandalism that damaged the McPherson Square Metro Station and several police vehicles,” the MPD wrote in a press release provided to Fox News Digital.
Protesters were also seen defacing multiple statues in downtown Washington and as well, wrapping Palestinian flags around a statue of Benjamin Franklin and another of General Marquis de Lafayette near the White House, as per Fox News.
Protesters were also captured climbing up the fence of the White House.
Unofficial reports estimate upward of 100,000 people flocked to the nation’s capital, The New York Post reports, DC police could not confirm as it does not estimate crowd size.
“Palestine will be free,” demonstrators donning black and white keffiyehs chanted as an enormous Palestinian flag was unfurled by a crowd that filled Pennsylvania Avenue — the street leading up to the White House.
Dozens of small white body bags with the names of children allegedly killed by Israeli missiles lined the street and demonstrators held signs calling for an immediate cease-fire.
Protesters held signs and banners with messages such as “Biden betrays us” and “In November we remember,” highlighting how the issue could be a factor in Biden’s reelection bid.
The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,448, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed, most of them in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the war.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
