44 victims in mass DC arrest; 13 others arrested in Chicago Caterpillar protest

'𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞': 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐳𝐚
𝘿𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙤𝙗𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙨𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙡.
Nov 19, 2024

At least 44 people were reportedly arrested at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday for a protest over government complicity in Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, as Congress prepares for key votes this week.

The demonstrators who descended on the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building are "members of faith groups, moms, healthcare workers, educators, students, [and] veterans," according to Zeteo reporter Prem Thakker.

Participants wore red T-shirts and unfurled banners—which footage on social media shows were snatched by police—urging Congress to fund climate action, education, healthcare, housing, and jobs, "not genocide." There were also messages pushing lawmakers to "stop arming Israel" and telling them it is "time to act."

Thakker reported that the protesters were calling on senators to support joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced in September and plans to bring to the floor for a vote on Wednesday.

The JRDs would block the sale of U.S. tank rounds, bomb kits, and other weapons to the Israeli government, which faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for an assault on Gaza that has killed at least 43,972 Palestinians.

So far just six other members of the chamber—Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)—have signaled support for the resolutions.

Even if the JRDs were passed by the Senate, they would need to get through the Republican-held U.S. House of Representatives to reach President Joe Biden's desk—and if the Democrat vetoed them, an override requires two-thirds support in both chambers.

Citing Capitol Police, ABC News reporter Beatrice Peterson said Tuesday that "all 44 individuals arrested were charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding. Two of them were also charged with assault on a police officer."

Meanwhile, in Illinois, 13 members of Chicago's chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) were arrested for shutting down Caterpillar's Business and Analytics Hub by blocking escalators and elevators.

"Caterpillar builds armored D9 bulldozers that the Israeli military uses in its genocidal campaign in Gaza and to demolish homes in the occupied West Bank," JVP Chicago said in a statement. "This protest comes at a historic moment: This week Congress is set to vote on legislation to block U.S. weapons sales to the Israeli government."

As the Chicago protesters were arrested, they called on Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to support Sanders' resolutions.

The other upcoming congressional vote garnering attention from anti-genocide activists is H.R. 9495, which would empower the treasury secretary to strip organizations of their nonprofit status by labeling them terrorist supporters with no due process. Republicans are reviving the bill after it failed to pass the House via a fast-track procedure last week, despite bipartisan support.

JVP's national arm has called H.R. 9495 "dangerous and unconstitutional," and warned that it "would give the incoming Trump administration the power to unilaterally shut down nonprofit organizations it doesn't like."

"This bill is part and parcel of the MAGA assault on democracy and fundamental freedoms," JVP said, "and it must be defeated again."