San Francisco police arrested 70 pro-Palestine demonstrators after they entered the lobby of the building housing the Israeli consulate and refused to leave.
“Officers developed probable cause to arrest 70 suspects who refused to vacate the building,” police said in a statement. No injuries were reported, according to Reuters.
The police led protesters out of the building and loaded them into police vehicles, their hands bound by zip ties.
Prp-Palestine protesters, who were voicing opposition to Israeli war crimes in Gaza, said they planned to stay until forcibly removed, the San Francisco Chronicle reported from the scene.
A group called the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network said on Instagram that 100 people had participated in the protest.
The network, which says its membership is Jewish, posted images of banners they hung such as, “Committing a genocide makes Jews less safe; Not in my name!”
Meanwhile, the Israeli consulate said it was “appalled, but not surprised” by the pro-Palestine protesters who entered the lobby of the building where the consulate is located.
At least 36,479 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s eight-month-old war in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education stated in a press release on Tuesday that more than 15,000 children in the Gaza Strip, mostly school students and preschoolers, have fallen victim to the war initiated by Israel since October 7th last year.
On the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, the ministry affirmed that children are the biggest victims of Israel’s war on Gaza, bearing a heavy price due to this aggression and its severe effects on them.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, said that the State of Palestine submitted a registry request to join the case of genocide in the Gaza Strip, which was filed by South Africa against Israel.