“It is a disgrace that Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to speak before both houses of Parliament,” Becker said. “We will rally thousands of protesters to say that he should not be welcome.”
According to a permit application submitted to the National Park Service, organizers estimate that 5,000 people will attend the protest, which will take place on the day Netanyahu is scheduled to speak.
On Tuesday, family members of the hostages, many of whom have traveled from Israel, plan to gather on the National Mall to share their experiences of those held captive in the Oct. 7 attack and express hope for their release, said Bar Ben Yaakov and Matan Shibek, an Israeli couple who live in Washington, D.C., and are leading an effort to support hostage families in the United States.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the United States has caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for the families,” Yacoub said. “Many of the families, including us, were sincerely hoping that the prime minister would travel to the United States with the good news that a deal had been reached.”
The protests came after weeks of stalemate over a ceasefire agreement.
When and where will the gathering take place?
About 45 relatives of the hostages plan to gather on the National Mall at 6pm on Tuesday to hold posters of those still being held and demand their release.
Several demonstrations are planned for Wednesday.
What about security presence?
The statement said the US Capitol Police are “working around the clock with federal, state and local partners” in preparation for Netanyahu’s visit. Capitol Police did not provide specific measures they were taking to handle expected crowds but said they would be adding more officers, including from outside agencies.
“We expect to see large numbers of protesters,” Capitol Police said in a statement.
Washington police spokeswoman Paris Ruebel said in a statement that there were no known threats but that police were working with federal law enforcement to monitor the protests.
Will roads be closed?
As of Friday evening, DC Police had not announced any road closures. For the latest updates, follow @DCPoliceTraffic on X. Capitol Police said they will provide information about road closures and public access to the Capitol building closer to Netanyahu’s visit.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
