Israel war: Anti-Israel protesters arrested after demonstrating inside House rotunda

A large crowd of anti-Israel protesters broke out in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building Wednesday afternoon, resulting in multiple arrests by the United States Capitol Police.

A Capitol Police spokesperson told the Washington Examiner the number of arrests resulting would likely be around 100. The exact number of arrests has not been confirmed so far, but three people were arrested after assaulting a police officer, the Capitol Police shared on social media.

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The group leading the demonstration of thousands of protesters, the Jewish Voice for Peace, called for a ceasefire in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. The war has resulted in the deaths of at least 4,000 Palestinians and Israelis since Oct. 7.

“The root of violence is oppression, and we’re here to say not in our names,” the organization posted to social media. “We have the power to stop the ongoing atrocities against Palestinians. We refuse to standby as the Israeli government commits genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. #ceasefirenow.”

The organization confirmed arrests on Wednesday, but the group said it would not be leaving until it gets a ceasefire. Jewish Voices for Peace was one of two organizations that protested outside of the White House on Monday, which also included the arrests of more than 30 protesters. It is not clear how many protesters were arrested on Wednesday, but thousands of Jews and allies protested outside of the office building.

Jewish Voices for Peace describes itself as an organization of “Jews organizing toward Palestinian liberation and Judaism beyond Zionism.”

The other group at Monday’s protest, the IfNotNow movement, was also present at the rotunda. The group describes itself as “a movement of American Jews organizing our community to end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system and demand equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Palestinians and Israelis.”

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The House and Senate sergeants-at-arms instructed lawmakers to remain indoors and use underground tunnels to move around the complex on Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday’s expected demonstrations. The Capitol Police also placed bike racks around Capitol Hill and stationed additional officers at the buildings.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Capitol Police for updates.