Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois, reported that his office at the U.S. Capitol was vandalized on July 4. Posters he had displayed, featuring hostages held in Gaza, were torn down. Schneider, who is Jewish, described the incident as a “vile act of hate.” He shared an image on X showing the posters ripped from the walls, shredded, and scattered across the hallway.
Schneider emphasized the significance of the act occurring on Independence Day, stating, “This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day.” He expressed his disgust at videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a “terrorist holiday” and burning American flags. Schneider also mentioned that his home was targeted last weekend by approximately 50 masked demonstrators who banged drums, blew horns, and screamed antisemitic chants at 2:30 AM.
Schneider condemned these actions, stating, “These actions don’t advance peace. Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists, enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel but all civilians in Gaza as well.” His office notified U.S. Capitol Police about the incident, and the USCP confirmed they are investigating but could not provide further information at this time.
Other members of Congress, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., have also displayed similar posters showing the hostages on the walls in or outside of their Capitol offices. In the weeks following Hamas’ terror attack on Oct. 7, many videos circulated on social media showing tense confrontations after people were seen tearing down posters featuring the hostages, especially in major cities like New York.
The incident at Schneider’s office occurred on the same day that negotiators reported a “breakthrough” in talks that could lead to a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. A senior Biden administration official indicated that an agreement could end months of fighting in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.
In a related incident, pro-Palestinian protesters staged a pre-dawn rally outside Schneider’s home in Highland Park, Illinois, last week. The noisy protest, which began around 2:45 AM, prompted several complaints from neighbors. City officials stated that police arrived on the scene within minutes of receiving complaints and observed around 40 protesters holding banners and shouting “pro-Palestinian and antisemitic chants” using loudspeakers and drums.
While police reported antisemitic chants, CBS News Chicago could not confirm this in the available video footage of the protest. In videos posted to social media, protestors can be heard saying “Free Free Palestine” and “Resistance is justified when there is a genocide.” Schneider’s office reported that a red liquid, appearing to be some kind of animal blood, was poured on the sidewalk.
Police used de-escalation tactics and were able to disperse the crowd, with all protesters leaving by 3:15 AM. Officers remained on the scene for two additional hours for investigation and the safety of residents. Protesters vowed “we will be back” while planting Palestinian flags in the grass. No arrests were made, and no citations were issued after the protest outside Schneider’s home.
An Instagram post showing the demonstration included a caption reading, “Chicago organizers wake up Brad Schneider at 2:30 a.m. to demand he re-funds UNRWA and ends the U.S.-backed genocide.” The post was found on the Instagram page “Direct Actions for Palestine,” which tagged the Pro-Palestinian groups American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Chicago and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Chicago.
Protesters took issue with Schneider over Congress’ defunding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and for Congress’ approval of military aid to Israel. “We must hold him accountable for the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza,” Direct Actions for Palestine wrote on Instagram. “If Gaza doesn’t get justice, then you don’t get no sleep. This is just the beginning.”
In March, Congress passed a massive appropriations bill that included a one-year ban on direct funding to the UNRWA, following allegations from Israel that some of its staff members participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. U.S. intelligence found the Israeli allegations about UNRWA and Oct. 7 to be credible but did not conduct an independent analysis, relying instead on an evaluation of the intelligence provided by Israel. The U.S. has historically been the largest donor to UNRWA, which is the agency with the greatest infrastructure for distribution of aid within the 25-mile Gaza Strip.
The latest report from the U.N. found Israel has not provided supporting evidence to corroborate its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel’s Cabinet was expected to discuss Hamas’ latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, after a weekslong hiatus in diplomatic talks to end the fighting.
Source: NBC News, CBS Chicago, Reuters
