Pro-Palestinian hooligans vandalize Union Station at anti-Israel protest, Republicans restore American flags: 'It's outrageous'

Pro-Palestinian hooligans vandalized statues, monuments, and a fountain outside of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday during anti-Israel protests. The demonstrators also took down American flags, burned them, and replaced them with Palestinian ones. However, Republicans restored the American flags.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address before Congress.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters converged on Union Station to demonstrate against Netanyahu and Israel's military response to the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023.

As Blaze News previously reported, the protests escalated and anti-Israel demonstrators became unruly. The protesters accosted and even got into physical confrontations with police. U.S. Capitol Police officers deployed pepper spray after some protesters became "violent" and "failed to obey" orders by law enforcement.

Nine people were reportedly arrested across D.C., including four people on charges of assaulting a police officer outside Union Station.

Vandals defaced the Columbus Memorial Fountain, the Freedom Bell, and other monuments. The activists graffitied messages on the monuments with threats such as "Hamas is coming."

American flags flying outside of Union Station were removed by anti-Israel activists, and activists hoisted Palestinian ones in their place. The activists then burned the American flags.

'You tear down our flag, and I will put it back up every single time!'

A group of House Republicans — led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Rep. Brandon Williams of New York — descended on Union Station late Wednesday night to restore the American flags that were taken down.

"We recognize that they flew Palestinian flags on these polls. It is outrageous. They were pulled down, thankfully," Johnson said.

He continued, "American flags are once again flying over Union Station. We will not let the terrorist mob win."

Congressman Williams added, "Anti-American agitators will not have the last say. We will continue to stand for this great country, no matter what. You tear down our flag, and I will put it back up every single time! God Bless America."

Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden from Wisconsin said, "We came down here to Union Station and re-flew these flags because Americans will not bend. We will not bow. We will not be afraid, and we will not be cowered by these terrorist sympathizers. We will stand strong with the American flag, the American people, and our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel."

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) wrote on the X social media platform, "We raised the flags back up. Earlier today, terrorist sympathizers tore down the American flags at Union Station, burned them, and raised the Palestinian flag in its place. After votes tonight, a group of members, including many veterans and the speaker of the house, took our flag back and raised it. Took a while to get it done because the Hamas supporters broke the connections, but D.C. police helped us out and got us zip ties."

After raising the three American flags, the Republicans and law enforcement officers said the Pledge of Allegiance.

GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas announced on Wednesday that a bill had been introduced by Republican lawmakers to "deport any foreigner involved in violence and vandalism on federal property."

"The actions of the pro-Hamas lunatics at Union Station in DC are shameful, and anyone on a visa who took part should have it revoked immediately," Cotton declared.

On Thursday morning, National Park Service crews worked to repair and clean the graffiti off the monuments in Union Station.

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