Police in gas masks use pepper spray on anti-Israel protesters on Capitol Hill as chaos erupts during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress

Capitol Police confronted pro-Palestinian protesters with pepper spray and riot shields as chaos erupted during Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress.

Officers were engaged in violent scenes as thousands of demonstrators descended in Washington D.C. to vent their fury at the Israeli Prime Minister over the war in Gaza.

'Part of the crowd has started to become violent at First Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line. We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line.'

Police have estimated that up to 10,000 protestors will be descending upon Capitol Hill today to call for an end to the 'genocide' in Gaza and demand a ceasefire.

Protesters also tore down the American flag flying outside Washington, D.C.'s Union Station, threw it to the ground and lit it on fire. They burned an effigy of Netanyahu and displayed another one of him with devil horns and blood spraying out of his mouth. 

They spray painted statues outside the city's train station with slogans like 'Hamas is coming' and 'Zionists are bastards.' 

Amtrak Northeast riders were told to 'expect delays near Washington Union Station and intermittent closures of entrances/exits.' 

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, Minn., reacted with horror at the sight of a Hamas flag being flown just outside the U.S. Capitol.

'I never imagined seeing the flag of a terror group holding eight Americans hostage for 292 days waved in the streets of our nation’s Capitol. Over a million Americans have given their lives to protect that right - including my own father,' he wrote on X. 

Meanwhile close to half of Congressional Democrats skipped Netanyahu's Capitol speech due to tensions over the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

Most notable absences include Vice President Kamala Harris, who would have presided over the Senate, but is claiming a scheduling conflict, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the second most powerful Democratic Senator Dick Durbin D-Ill.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is also planning to boycott the speech, calling the prime minister a 'war criminal' amid the bloody conflict that has seen loss of life in Gaza.

Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is eradicated following the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel by the terrorist who raped women, killed and beheaded children and took hundreds of Israelis hostage, including several Americans. 

Due to security concerns and a waning number of U.S. Capitol Police officers, over 200 New York City Police Department officers were deployed down to Washington, D.C.

The protests got so out of hand that Capitol Police described them as 'violent,' writing on X that they, 'are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line.'

A group of Republican senators slammed the VP at a press conference Wednesday afternoon for missing the joint address, claiming her outstanding obligation alibi is inappropriate. 

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called her absence 'disgraceful' and that  'she ought to be embarrassed.'

'She doesn’t have many jobs as VP,' Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said at the meeting, saying its 'a shame' that Harris decided not to attend. 

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., was more on the nose, calling her nonattendance 'a slap in the face.'

A Pelosi spokesperson said Wednesday that she would be joining a 'Members meeting with Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings.'

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., informed lawmakers that there would be 'an increased police presence around the Capitol complex and in the House Chamber.'

He went on to warn that he will enforcing a 'zero-tolerance policy for disturbances in the building.' 

'If any disturbance does occur, the Sergeant at Arms and Capitol Police will remove the offending visitor(s) from the gallery and subject them to arrest,' Johnson said in a letter this week. 

Netanyahu said that his speech will aim to 'anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel.' 

On Tuesday, over 200 pro-Gaza protestors were arrested in the Cannon House Office Building. 

There are plans for thousands more to march along the National Mall to the Capitol today before Netanyahu's 2 p.m. ET address. 

Already there are stages and audio equipment set up for pro-Gaza speeches and demonstrations hours before his speech.

Dozens of premade signs denouncing Netanyahu and Israel meant to be picked up by attendees were stationed at the main protest area.

As the crowd began to grow before the prime minister's speech rally attendees blocks from the Capitol began chanting 'from the river to the sea' and 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution,' two common anti-Israel refrains. 

Videos on social media even show protestors stationed outside of the local hotel were Netanyahu is staying, meaning the demonstrations against him as have been nearly constant all of Wednesday. 

Demonstrators have been so active in disrupting Netanyahu's trip that they even entered the hotel he was staying in and spread maggots and other insects about the premises.  

Hours before the planned speech, the Palestinian Youth Movement's X account shared a video they claimed showed Netanyahu's table at the Watergate hotel in Washington full of critters and bugs.

The prime minister is expected to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris separately on Thursday. 

He will also be traveling down to Mar-a-Lago to have a sit down with former President Donald Trump on Friday, the GOP nominee for president.