US lawmaker says Israeli hostage photos were vandalized in protest

6/7/2024 12:03

        Democratic U.S. Representative Brad Schneider's office was targeted by what he called on Friday "a vile act of hate," after pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside his office in the U.S. Capitol building and tore down posters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
        
        Schneider, a staunch supporter of Israel, posted a photo of the posters crumpled on the floor.
        
        "This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country's Independence Day," Schneider said on social media. Schneider, who is Jewish, represents a district covering the suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois.
        
        Instagram page "Direct Actions for Palestine" said protesters demanded the lawmaker support restoring U.S. funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and ending the war. Washington suspended funding to UNRWA after Israel alleged that members of the UNRWA staff had ties to extremist groups, a claim the U.N. said Israel has yet to provide evidence for.