Pro-Hamas protesters 'need to be arrested and sent to jail,' Speaker Johnson argues: 'Zero tolerance'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Wednesday address to Congress was delivered as a backdrop of chaos and anger rang out from pro-Hamas demonstrators across Washington, D.C.
Though agitators burned flags and shouted "Allahu Akbar," the night ended with an "important moment" – the hoisting of an American flag that had earlier been torn down.
"Rep. Brandon Williams of New York had the idea to go out there and put the American flag back in its rightful place," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., explained on "America’s Newsroom," Thursday.
"They're trying to intimidate Jewish people and all those who support Israel, and we will not stand for it," Johnson continued. "So it was a proud moment for us."
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At least one demonstrator was spotted by Fox News carrying what appeared to be a Hamas flag. Others vandalized a statue of Christopher Columbus with the words, "Hamas is coming."
Co-host Dana Perino asked Johnson whether that threat should be taken seriously.
"We should not stand for this at all," Johnson responded. "Look, we respect free speech, of course, but they are desecrating monuments, destroying public property, and they need to be arrested and sent to jail if they're going to act like that and support a bloodthirsty terrorist regime."
"They are, in fact, what Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his speech yesterday: useful idiots for the cause of Iran."
As of Wednesday evening, 23 protesters had been arrested by various law enforcement agencies.
The nine who were arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department ranged in age from 15-32. The charges include assault on a police officer and crossing a police line, according to a release.
"We're digging into that today to ensure that the law is enforced and that we have zero tolerance for this nonsense. I made it clear to our colleagues we would have zero tolerance for disturbances inside the chamber during the prime minister's address, and I'm grateful that all that was heeded," Johnson said.
Protesters also gathered in Chicago and outside the Jewish State’s consulate in New York as the prime minister spoke on Capitol Hill.
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Johnson went on to praise Netanyahu for an "extraordinary" address, projecting Israel’s strength to the world.
"That's what you need the leader of your country to do," he said. "We need that desperately right now. Joe Biden is not providing that strength. He's projecting weakness. And that's why all of this chaos is being allowed to take place around the globe and here, here domestically."
"We cannot allow the terrorist mobs to win," Johnson warned.
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Fox News' Danielle Wallace, Brie Stimson, Andrea Vacchiano and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.