Originally published October 19, 2023 4:00 pm PDT
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has called upon the U.S. Capitol Police to retain all surveillance footage, photographs, and arrest records stemming from a significant House protest that took place on Wednesday, led by pro-Palestinian Jewish groups ‘Jewish Voice for Peace’ and ‘IfNotNow.’
The protest was in demand of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Greene compared the demonstration to the events of the January 6, 2021 unrest at the Capitol.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, which she subsequently shared on X, Greene detailed her request for the preservation of “all video surveillance footage, photographic evidence, police reports and arrests records from all House Office Buildings on October 18, 2023,” Fox News reports.
Greene’s letter highlighted the organization behind the demonstration, Jewish Voice for Peace, labeling them as a “pro-Islamic anti-Semitic group that seeks the destruction of the state of Israel.”
The characterization draws on claims made by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Furthermore, in her choice to describe the protest as an “insurrection,” she drew parallels with the language used by the House Jan 6 committee in relation to the 2021 Capitol riot.
Detailing the disruption caused by the protesters, Greene stated that “these actors caused elevators to be shut down, staircases and hallways to be blocked, exits to be made inaccessible, and official legislative business to be obstructed, putting Members of Congress, their staffs, and Capitol visitors at risk.”
In her appeal, she extended her request to the Committee on House Administration, chaired by Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI), insisting they “investigate this incident and review all footage and evidence provided by Capitol Police, and the insurrectionists involved must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Capitol police confirmed the events of the day, stating on X that a “group of protesters are demonstrating inside the Cannon Rotunda” and that “demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional Buildings.”
They continued by mentioning that “arrests in the Canon Rotunda [sic] and the rolling road closures are ongoing.”
Importantly, the police highlighted that “amongst these arrests, three people have been arrested and charged with Assault on a Police Officer during processing.”
Meanwhile, Greene didn’t shy away from pointing fingers at her colleagues, singling out Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) as a “Hamas Caucus Leader” and asserting she was “leading the current insurrection on Capitol Hill.”
Notably, video footage showcased Tlaib addressing protesters outside the Capitol about a recent explosion at a Gaza hospital.
Tlaib, a member of the Democratic “Squad,” firmly attributes the blast at the Christian hospital in Gaza to Israel, a position she maintains even after President Joe Biden revealed that U.S. intelligence indicates the explosion was likely “the result of a misfired rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists.”
