Pro-Palestinian Activists Threaten Harris

Should Kamala Harris Be Worried?

Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protesters are bluntly warning President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris that they don’t trust either of them - and that neither should take their vote for granted.

This was a rude wake-up call especially for Harris, who currently is basking in the sunshine as the presumptive and only Democratic Presidential candidate.

The protesters organized a loud and boisterous anti-Israel demonstration outside the Capitol Building, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to address a Joint Session of Congress for the fourth time.

After the rally, violence erupted. It included attacks on the Capitol Police, the tearing down of American flags, raising Palestinian flags, and setting fires.

Linda Sansour, once a women’s right advocate and now a Left-wing activist - and one of the most high-profile rally speakers - advised the boisterous crowd that they alone were responsible for President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the Presidential race.

“I have one, simple message for all of you,” she said from the Palestinian protest stage. “Beware of those who tell you that nothing that you have done matters. The reason that Joe Biden is not at the top of the nomination of the Democratic Party is because of you, my friends.”

She also said Palestinians should take credit for Harris’ decision to boycott Netanyahu’s address before the Joint Session of Congress. “It is the reason why Kamala Harris is not presiding over Benjamin Netanyahu’s war criminal speech in Congress. Today is because of you.”

The warning to Harris was blunt. And the protesters roared their approval.

Harris hasn’t publicly given any reasons why she decided to be absent on Wednesday. Her staff claimed it was because she had a previous campaign engagement in Indiana. But neither Harris nor the Presidential campaign staff explained why the Indiana engagement couldn’t have been rescheduled.  And, of course, the national press didn’t press the issue.

Sansour added that the Palestinians should take credit for the Democratic members of Congress who didn’t enter the hall during the Israeli leader’s speech. Eight U.S. Senators, all Democrats, boycotted the speech, including Senators Dick Durbin, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Thirty House Democrats also stayed away from the address. 

Sansour, a high-profile pro-Palestinian activist who wore a Hijab or Muslim headscarf while she addressed the crowd, praised the political toughness of her audience, saying the Democrat’s absence at Netanyahu’s address was because of their electoral power. “The reason that dozens of Members of Congress are boycotting Benjamin Netanyahu is because of you,” she said to vigorous applause.

A sole Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie from Kentucky, boycotted the speech claiming the speech constituted “political theater on behalf of the State Department.” 

Sansour also bluntly called Biden a top American war criminal, which also must worry Democratic presidential campaign organizers.

“Don’t be surprised that a war criminal has been invited by a country that harbors our own war criminals,” she said. “And at the top of the list is President Joe Biden,” she declared to vigorous applause.

Sansour was direct. She warned the Democratic Party might lose the Muslim and Far Left votes in November. “Let us be clear. Our votes are still to be earned.” 

It was a direct warning to both Harris and to the Democratic Party that their election in November could be imperiled if they ignored anti-Israel voters. Similar warnings were issued earlier this year after voters in American Muslim enclaves voted to boycott then candidate Biden.

Behind the Lines, one of the main organizations planning demonstrations outside of this August’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago agrees with Sansour. “Whether the Democrats nominate Killer Kamala or someone else, whoever replaces Biden on the ticket will be someone guaranteed to fall in line with the wholesale slaughter in Gaza,” they wrote on their website.

Not a good sign for the Vice President or for her party.

Another speaker, Party for Socialism and Liberation president Claudia De La Cruz, scolded Harris and said her “status” as a woman should play no role for Muslims and far Left activists.

She said Harris could not escape her responsibility for her support for Israel after the Hamas October 7 massacre. “Kamala Harris, we’re not going to give her a pass because she’s a woman,” De La Cruz declared. The protesters enthusiastically agreed. 

De La Cruz served as the socialist party’s 2024 Presidential candidate and shared platforms with Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate.

Stein, who famously dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before the 2016 election, also spoke at the rally. She admonished congressional leaders, “how dare you invite this war criminal.” 

Both Biden and Harris are scheduled today to separately meet with Netanyahu at the White House. 

For his part, Netanyahu, referring to a recent U.S. intelligence assessment that Iran was funding many anti-Israel protests, in his congressional address described the demonstrators as “useful idiots” for Iran.

Protesters originally claimed upwards of 50,000 might descend on the Capitol grounds which were protected by large, imposing fencing erected by Capitol Police. But the National Park Service estimated the crowd to be “more than 5,000,” a far cry from organizer’s estimates. 

To underscore the nervousness of D.C. Police, law enforcement personnel from other jurisdictions, including 200 from the New York City Police Department provided reinforcements.

Throughout D.C., pro-Palestinian protestors echoed many slogans in the streets near Capitol Hill, including, “Bibi, Bib, we’re not done. The Intifada has just begun,”

The Intifada were two previous waves of Palestinian terror campaigns inside Israel where suicide bombers detonated explosives targeting Israeli cafes, buses and malls. The killing spree killed more than 1100 Israeli civilians.

After the rally protesters became violent.

Their violence principally erupted outside of Union Station, Washington’s main train and commuter hub causing chaos. The Hill reported on X that “Police and commuters have gotten into angry confrontations near the metro entrance asking why they are being prevented from entering.” The news organization reported that police closed Union Station and only permitted those with AMTRAK tickets to enter.  

Three American flags were torn down at Union Station. Video on social media shows at least one rescued by police and one was burned. Palestinian flags were raised in their places.

Video shows a group of police officers pushing their way to one of the flag poles to take care of one of the American flags, then retreating after it was retrieved. Several were arrested.

Julio Rosas, a reporter and former U.S. Marine wrote on X it was “absolute chaos” outside the train station.

Nick Ianelli, a reporter for WTOP, the CBS affiliate in D.C., also reported that protesters set fires outside of Union Station.

D.C. commuters were inconvenience. WUSA-TV, a CBS television affiliate reported that buses to and from Union Station, which is a major transportation hub, were stopped because of demonstrators.

So far, demonstrators appear indifferent about inconveniencing ordinary Americans. Since the massacres on October 7, anti-Israel protesters have disrupted traffic at bridges in New York City and San Francisco and at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and as well as at other public buildings throughout the country.

During the rally, organizers claimed they blocked nine different D.C. intersections and disrupted the motorcade bringing Netanyahu to the Capitol Building for his fourth address before a Joint Session of Congress.

There was little evidence nine intersections were completely blocked, although police did admit a few intersections were filled with demonstrators.  Netanyahu arrived at the Capitol Building on time and delivered his address at 2 pm, the announced time for his speech.

Palestinian protesters were successful, however, in releasing maggots, bugs and worms into one of the Israeli delegation’s conference rooms at the Watergate Hotel where Netanyahu and his aides were staying during his visit to Washington.

Mohammad, one of the Palestinian moderators at the anti-Netanyahu rally, who is from the Palestinian Youth Movement, told protesters that “We will not allow a moment of peace (for the Israelis).

“The Zionist delegation woke up and their meeting room at the Watergate woke up to maggots, bugs and meal worms that they discovered,” he gleefully told the protestors. The crowd roared.

The Watergate admitted that the protesters were successful, publicly stating, “We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal. We are cooperating fully with authorities, who are handling the situation.”

While the disruptions appeared to be relatively minor, the political threats to Harris and to Democrats were direct and could be worrisome to campaign organizers.

At the conclusion of the rally, Mohammad asked the crowd to join them in Chicago where protesters hope to disrupt the Democratic National Convention in August. Chicago police have been preparing for anti-Israel riots in the city for months. 

Stay tuned.