Anti-Netanyahu Protests Draw Widely Varying News Coverage
Summary from the AllSides News Team
As media flocked to the large protests in Washington D.C. against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress on Wednesday, many partisan differences emerged in the coverage.
Colorful Labels: Left and center outlets called them “protesters,” “demonstrators,” and “crowds.” Right outlets called them “agitators” and “infiltrators.”
Provocative Language: Right outlets and CNN (Lean Left bias) covered protesters spray painting “Hamas is coming” on a memorial to Christopher Columbus. Fox News (Right) highlighted that chants of “allahu akbar” were heard, and signs were seen that called Netanyahu a “war criminal.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also held such a sign during Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
Clashes with Police: Washington Post (Lean Left) cast instances of violence as rare and scrupulously counted them: “Though most demonstrators walked and chanted peacefully, there were some clashes with law enforcement, and D.C. and Capitol Police said they arrested 15 people in total. The U.S. Park Police arrested eight people.” Right outlets attributed violent actions to the protesters as a group.
Flags and Maggots: Fox covered beat-for-beat the replacement of American with Palestinian flags at Union Station; Breitbart (Right) featured a man who ran in to save a burning American flag. USA Today (Lean Left) noted that “at least one” flag was burned and “authorities removed” the replacement Palestinian flags. Guardian (Lean Left) did not mention the removal or burning of American flags. New York Post (Lean Right) and The Hill (Center) covered maggots and crickets released in the Israeli delegation’s hotel.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
‘Cynical and manipulative’: thousands at DC rally denounce Netanyahu speechThousands of protesters demonstrated around Capitol Hill voicing opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who addressed a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday.
With tensions over Israel’s nine-and-half-month war on Gaza running high, police mounted a huge security operation to seal off the US Capitol from protesters.
Streets in Washington’s downtown area were closed to traffic, while officers experienced in dealing with mass protests were drafted in from the New York police department. The Capitol building itself was ring-fenced off.
“Shut it down,” a large group of protesters chanted...
From the Right
Anti-Israel infiltrators unleashed maggots, crickets at Israeli delegation’s hotel ahead of Netanyahu speechThousands of anti-Israel protesters flooded Washington, DC, on Wednesday, dying the city’s fountains blood red – and even unleashing maggots and other creepy crawlers at a hotel where some of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s delegation stayed.
A video posted to X by the Palestinian Youth Movement showed moving critters scattered across a table flanked by Israeli and American flags.
“Palestine protestors (sic) manufactured chaos at the Watergate Hotel last night so that Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service had no peace as they continue to terrorize our...
From the Center
Protesters burn US flags, Netanyahu effigy blocks from CapitolProtesters calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest lowered and then burned U.S. flags blocks from the U.S. Capitol, raising smaller Palestinian flags in their place, after the divisive leader’s fiery address to Congress on Wednesday. Protesters said they briefly scuffled with police on one side of Columbus Circle, apparently prompting U.S. Park Police to revoke the permit for the protest and order protesters to leave the area shortly after 4 p.m. The crowd mostly dispersed at that point, but not before they had taken down the U.S. flags,...
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