WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris joined Democratic and Republican leaders in condemning protesters who burned American flags and sprayed pro-Hamas graffiti outside Washington’s Union Station on Wednesday, describing the acts as unpatriotic and abhorrent.
The protests coincided with a speech to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Before he spoke, protesters marched near the U.S. Capitol building, condemning U.S. military aid to Israel during its war with Hamas militants in Gaza.
Following Netanyahu’s speech, some of the demonstrators gathered in front of Union Station. They hoisted Palestinian flags outside the iconic train station, burned American ones and spray painted the words “Hamas is coming” and “Free Gaza” on a large monument.
Harris, the Democrats’ presidential candidate, said in a statement on Thursday that she condemns any individuals associating with Hamas.
“I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way,” Harris said.
Harris and Biden were due to hold separate meetings with Netanyahu later on Thursday. More protests were planned for outside the White House.
During the protest on Wednesday, before some of the protesters converged near Union Station, police used pepper spray on some of the thousands of demonstrators present and made some arrests.
The flag burning and graffiti outside Union Station drew strong criticism from Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and Hakeem Jeffries, the chamber’s Democratic leader.
(This story has been corrected to say that protesters hoisted Palestinian flags outside Union Station, not American ones, in paragraph 3)
