Anti-Israel protesters released maggots and crickets in Washington, D.C.’s Watergate Hotel during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stay on Tuesday.
Netanyahu was visiting the U.S. to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon as Israel’s conflict with Hamas continues. The event has drawn outrage from some Democratic lawmakers, leading some to decide not to attend the address.
A video on social media platform X shows a Watergate conference room covered in maggots and hallways crawling with crickets. The clip also captures the hotel’s alarm system announcing a fire alarm had been pulled.
A hotel spokesperson confirmed awareness of the incident and stated that the hotel had been cleaned up.
“We are aware of the social media video circulating on multiple platforms involving The Watergate Hotel and the unfortunate incident that occurred at the property yesterday,” they wrote. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests and staff. We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal. We are cooperating fully with authorities, who are handling the situation. As this is an open case, we are unable to provide any further details at this time.”
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This incident coincides with thousands of anti-Israel protesters taking to the streets of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to protest Netanyahu’s presence.
Demonstrators beat drums, lit flares, and hoisted Palestinian flags to show solidarity with those affected by the conflict in Gaza. Capitol Police reported that some members of the crowd became violent, leading them to deploy pepper spray.
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