Jewish demonstrators arrested in Cannon Rotunda for protesting against Gaza war

Inside the building around 3 p.m., hundreds of protesters chanted “Let Gaza live” and “Stop the genocide” and sat in a circle around a banner that read “NO ONE IS FREE UNTIL EVERYONE IS FREE.” They wore red shirts that read “JEWS SAY STOP ARMATING ISRAEL” and clapped while chanting “Not in our name.” Protesters unfurled banners, including one that read: “TIKKUN OLAM = FREE PALESTINE,” referring to the Hebrew phrase meaning to repair the world. Several protesters wore handmade prayer shawls decorated with poppies, a Palestinian national symbol, and the words “NO ONE AGAIN FOR ANYONE.”

After about 20 minutes, Capitol Police asked protesters to end the demonstration. While some protesters left, many stayed. About 10 minutes later, officers began clearing the area, using zip ties to remove protesters from the Rotunda. While Capitol Police bound protesters with zip ties, the group recited the Shema, a Jewish prayer, and chanted “Free Palestine” and “Let Gaza live.” By 4:30 a.m., police had cleared all protesters from the Rotunda.

“Demonstrations are not allowed in the buildings of Congress,” Capitol Police wrote on X. “We told people who entered legally to stop or they would be arrested. They did not stop, so we are arresting them.” Capitol Police did not initially give an estimate of the number of people arrested.

The demonstration comes at a crucial time for U.S.-Israeli relations and negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. Thousands of people are expected on the National Mall on Wednesday to protest Netanyahu’s speech and demand an end to the war. Relatives of hostages have also traveled to Washington this week to meet with politicians, hold press conferences and rallies and attend Netanyahu’s speech in the hope that they can persuade the prime minister to quickly sign a deal securing the release of their loved ones.

Many of Tuesday’s protesters said they would join the anti-Netanyahu demonstration on Wednesday, but wanted to organize their own, separate protest targeting Jewish people who oppose Netanyahu and arms sales to Israel. Demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire have been a hallmark of the District for months, protesting in the halls of Congress, outside politicians’ homes, in front of the White House and on city streets.

Among the protesters on Tuesday afternoon was Benjamin Kersten, a 31-year-old graduate student studying art history at the University of California, Los Angeles, who arrived in the region on an overnight flight Tuesday morning. Kersten, who is Jewish and was one of the leaders of the student camp at UCLA, said he wanted to make it clear to politicians that Jewish security does not equate to arming Israel. Instead, he called Netanyahu a “war criminal,” citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the civilians, including children, who have been killed or injured.

“Our security will come at a time when everyone has the resources they need to thrive,” he said. “Our call for a ceasefire is fundamentally rooted in the belief that every life is precious. Therefore, our call for a ceasefire is also a call for the safety of the hostages and a cessation of hostilities.”

Rabbi Linda Holtzman, head of the Philadelphia-based social justice community Tikkun Olam Chavurah, said “mass murder” is being committed in Gaza and believes the path to a ceasefire includes an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Holtzman said a political decision must be made about Israel’s future and she hopes for a future that Palestinians and Israelis can decide together.

“It’s incredibly important for me to be here as a rabbi and as a Jew, because at the heart of the Jewish tradition is the sanctity of life,” Holtzman said. “We cannot stand by and watch people being killed and not stand up. That seems to me to be a serious anti-Jewish act.”

The House and Senate office buildings and the U.S. Capitol were open to the public on Tuesday, as they are most days, meaning people could enter the buildings and pass through security checkpoints. People will only be arrested if they start protesting and continue to do so after police tell them to disperse, Capitol Police spokesman Tim Barber said.

“We see demonstrations on Capitol Hill almost every day. Often people try to demonstrate inside the buildings of Congress – which is illegal,” Barber said. “As soon as they refuse to stop their illegal demonstrations, we arrest them. This is so commonplace, even in mass arrests like today – a massive undertaking – our officers can quickly arrest everyone and transport them away to clear the area.”

Hours after the demonstration at the Cannon Building, relatives of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack gathered on the National Mall to demand the release of their family members. They chanted “Bring them home immediately” and raised Israeli and American flags next to a sign reading “MAKE THE DEAL NOW” with the US Capitol in the background.

“I beg Bibi Netanyahu, there is a deal on the table and you must accept it,” said Aviva Siegel, a former hostage who was released in November.

At the rally, Alon Gat spoke about his experiences on October 7, when Hamas fighters put him, his wife, Yarden Roman, and their then three-year-old daughter, Geffen, in a car and drove them toward Gaza. The family decided to jump out of the car and flee. Alon Gat ran with his daughter and remembers looking back and seeing his wife hiding behind a tree.

Yarden Roman was recaptured and released as part of the November deal. Alon Gat’s sister, Carmel Gat, was also arrested that day and is still being held in Gaza.

“We know there is one person who has to decide that this deal has to be done and that is Benjamin Netanyahu,” he said. “He has to decide not to delay this deal. And we are here to remind him of that.”