Washington, United States - July 25, 2024

A group of House Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, gathered at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station on Wednesday night to replace American flags that had been taken down and burned by protesters earlier in the day. The flags were replaced with Palestinian flags during protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's congressional address.

Speaking at the event, Speaker Johnson condemned the actions of the protesters, emphasizing the importance of unity and patriotism. "It’s shameful what happened here today," he stated. "Instead of protesting, you should be standing with your country, and we will."

Representatives Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Brandon Williams of New York, Rudy Yakym of Indiana, and several others joined Speaker Johnson in raising new American flags. Representative Yakym, after hoisting the flag, underscored the significance of the gesture. "The protesters tore down our flags and replaced them with Palestinian flags," he said. "But today, we’re raising the American flags."

The lawmakers acted promptly after a House voting session, with Representative Williams explaining their decision to restore the flags. "As I drove in for votes, I saw the flagpoles at Union Station bare. Our flag had not been restored after being burned by Hamas protesters earlier," he remarked. "So, I gathered fellow members of Congress, including the speaker and veterans, to rectify this."

Throughout the day, protests across the district criticized U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Claudia de la Cruz, a presidential candidate from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, voiced strong criticism of U.S. policies. She condemned Vice President Kamala Harris and other leaders, accusing them of complicity in terrorism.