An Illinois politician was the victim of an act of vandalism carried out in his Capitol Hill office over the Fourth of July holiday, calling it a “vile act of hate.” Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, called out the vandalism in a post on X Friday, writing that the posters of more than “100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway.”
The act of vandalism would have been shameful if it had been carried out on any day, but it was especially shameful that it was carried out on “July 4, our country’s Independence Day,” he wrote in the post. “Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy.”
Brad Schneider, 62, is a member of the U.S. representing Illinois’ 10th Congressional District, according to Ballotpedia. Schneider has served Illinois since 2017 and is running for re-election in 2024.
Schneider said he has been especially “disgusted” by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags. Schneider also said acts of vandalism aren’t just happening at his D.C. office, revealing in a separate post that his home was “targeted last weekend at 2:30AM by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns and screaming antisemitic chants.”
“The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4th, not calling for peace, but rather condemning the United States of America,” he said.
Direct Actions for Palestine, an Instagram page dedicated to “highlighting direct actions for Palestine happening in Chicago” have called for Schneider to support restoring U.S. funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and ending the war, according to reporting by Reuters. Protesters were criticizing Schneider’s votes to defund UNRWA, according to the “Direct Actions for Palestine” Instagram page, Reuters reported. A clip showed the group protesting outside Schneider’s home, captioning the post: “If we don’t get no justice, then you don’t get no sleep.”
The U.S. Capitol Police Department said in a statement to Reuters that it was “aware and investigating,” but was unable to provide any additional information. Schneider’s Office and the U.S. Capitol Police Department were not immediately available for comment on Friday.
Posters featuring photos of the more than 100 people still being held hostage by Hamas-led militants in Gaza were torn down outside U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider’s office at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, according to the congressman’s office. Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois, called the vandalism “a vile act of hate.” “This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day,” Schneider said in a statement.
The congressman shared photos of the vandalism on X, showing many of the posters of hostages on the floor, crumpled or shredded. The posters featured the pictures of more than 100 people, including eight Americans, who have been held hostage by Hamas since the militant group’s Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. U.S. Capitol Police confirmed they were investigating the vandalism, but declined to provide further information.
The ongoing war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack into southern Israel, attacking multiple army bases and farming communities, and killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Militants also took another 250 people hostage. More than 100 of those hostages were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel launched a major offensive in response to the Oct. 7 attack that has killed more than 38,000, according to health officials in Gaza, who don’t say how many were civilians or militants. The war has caused vast destruction across the territory, displaced most of its population of 2.3 million — often multiple times — caused widespread hunger and raised fears of famine.
The vandalism outside Schneider’s office on Capitol Hill comes less than a week after pro-Palestinian protesters held an overnight rally outside Schneider’s home in Highland Park starting around 2:45 a.m. on Saturday. The noisy protest prompted several complaints from neighbors, who wondered why more wasn’t done in response at such an hour. City officials said police arrived on the scene within minutes of receiving a series of complaints, and saw around 40 protesters gathered on the sidewalk, holding up banners and shouting “pro-Palestinian and antisemitic chants” using loudspeakers and drums.
While police said there were antisemitic chants, CBS News Chicago could not confirm that was the case 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 said a red liquid that appeared to be some kind of animal blood was poured on the sidewalk. Police said officers used de-escalation tactics and were able to disperse the crowd, with all protesters leaving by 3:15 a.m. Officers remained on scene for two additional hours after the protesters left for investigation and the safety of residents, officials said. 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.
As seen in the Instagram post, 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—after 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.
Meantime, 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.
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) denounced both “shameful” vandalism that occurred outside his Capitol hill office and antisemitic demonstrations that occurred in Chicago on Independence Day, accusing the perpetrators of empowering Hamas terrorists. “My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway,” Schneider, who is Jewish, posted Friday on X.
“This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy,” he said.
“We are aware and investigating,” a spokesperson for US Capitol Police told The Post. “To protect the investigation, we cannot provide any more information at this time.”
Schneider, co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus to strengthen Israel’s standing in the Middle East said he had also “been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags.”
“It’s not just happening at my office in Washington, DC,” Schneider went on in an X thread. “More than 700 miles from the Capitol, my home was targeted last weekend at 2:30AM by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns and screaming antisemitic chants.”
“The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4th, not calling for peace, but rather condemning the United States of America,” he added.
“These actions don’t advance peace,” Schneider went on. “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.”
The Illinois Democrat is the latest politician to be targeted by anti-Israel protesters — and to have property vandalized as a result of demonstrations, many of which have roiled US cities since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.
Thousands of protesters descended on the White House in mid-June and marred federal monuments with pro-Hamas slogans. No arrests were made.
South Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also had his district office vandalized by “anti-Israel extremists” on Christmas Day 2023, with blood-red paint splattered over a Jesus Christ child doll. “Covered in ‘blood’ is a doll meant to symbolize Jesus, whom the vandals describe as a ‘Palestinian child messiah,’” Torres posted on X at the time.
“The escalation in intimidation and incitement against Members of Congress feels like it is heading in a dangerous direction,” he said. “I, for one, will not be intimidated.”
The Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip has divided the Democratic Party in a critical election year, with far-left “Squad” members voting against military aid funding for the Jewish state and demanding a cease-fire before the elimination of the terror group.
Hamas terrorists killed nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, most of whom were civilians and 33 of whom were American citizens. Another 240 were kidnapped and taken back to Gaza.
Pro-Israel Democrats have supported Israel’s war effort — while at times criticizing both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s and President Biden’s leadership.
Schneider and a few dozen Democrats voted in November to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for defending the terror attack as justified “resistance” and calling for the elimination of the Jewish state.
In May, Schneider also joined 25 House Democratic colleagues in a letter that expressed concerns over the Biden administration’s decision to pause an Israeli weapons shipment, saying that it would embolden Hamas.
Source: CBS Chicago, Reuters, The Post
