WASHINGTON — Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., said Friday that his office at the U.S. Capitol was vandalized on July 4 in which posters he had hung up of hostages held in Gaza were ripped down.
“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, a Jewish member of Congress, said in a statement.
He posted an image on X showing the posters that had been torn off the walls.
Schneider said it would be a shameful act any day, but especially on the July 4 holiday.
“I’ve been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags,” Schneider said. “It’s not just happening at my office in Washington, D.C. 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.”
“These actions don’t advance peace,” he added. “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.”
Schneider’s office said that it notified U.S. Capitol Police about the incident Thursday. “We are aware and investigating. To protect the investigation, we cannot provide any more information at this time,” the USCP said.
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 after 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 Thursday came the same day that negotiators said there was a “breakthrough” in talks that could lead to a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, a senior Biden administration said. An agreement could end months of fighting in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.
Rebecca Kaplan and Julie Tsirkin contributed.
