Harris condemns flag burning, pro-Hamas rhetoric
Pro-Hamas protesters burn American flag, wave Palestinian flag at nation's capital
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the protests over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Capitol Hill address to Congress.
Vice President Harris has released a statement condemning violent anti-Israel rioting that disrupted Washington D.C.'s busiest station.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee released the statement Thursday, hours after the violent protests against visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Yesterday, at Union Station in Washington, D.C. we saw despicable acts by unpatriotic protesters and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric," Harris said. "I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews.
The protesters spray-painted monuments and pulled down American flags flying outside Union Station, eventually lighting them on fire amid cheers and chants against Israel.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS REPLACE AMERICAN FLAGS AT UNION STATION AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS
An unnamed man many are calling a hero rescued an American flag from burning at a pro-Hamas demonstration outside Union Station Wednesday, July 24. (@RichieMcGinniss via X)
Harris explicitly condemned multiple protest signs seen at the riot that celebrated terrorist organization Hamas.
"Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation," Harris wrote.
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A pro-Palestinian demonstrator sprays graffiti on Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain at Union Station, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, on the day of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., July 24, 2024. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
The statement came just minutes after Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance criticized Harris on social media for failing to acknowledge the riot.
"Anti-American and pro-Hamas rioters burned the American flag in front of the US Capitol, and the woman who wants to be our president is still refusing to condemn it," Vance said on X, moments before Harris's statement was released.
Harris wrote in her statement, "I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way."
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"I support the right to peacefully protest, but let’s be clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation," the vice president concluded.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at
