(Bloomberg) -- Hundreds of police officers from New York City and other jurisdictions will help guard the US Capitol as large protests are expected when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday.
The US Capitol Police “anticipates a lot of demonstrators to show up,” the department said in a statement Tuesday. “The department respects everyone’s First Amendment rights, however all demonstrations must be done peacefully and legally.”
Kaz Daughtry, a New York deputy police commissioner, wrote on X that more than 200 of his department’s officers had been “been sworn in as United States Capitol Police Special Officers to assist in policing events this week.”
Tim Barber, a Capitol Police spokesman, said departments in Maryland and Virginia as well as Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department were also providing reinforcements. He did not say how many officers were arriving, but added they would bring their own equipment.
Barriers have been established around the Capitol grounds and several streets have been closed off. On Tuesday, several people protesting against the conflict in Gaza entered the Cannon Office Building and refused to leave. “We told the people, who legally entered, to stop or they would be arrested. They did not stop, so we are arresting them,” the Capitol Police said on X.
Earlier: Trump Plans to Meet With Netanyahu as Mideast Conflict Persists
In a “Dear Colleague” message to lawmakers and their staffs, William McFarland, the House sergeant at arms, urged everyone to use underground tunnels between office buildings and the Capitol.
He provided a telephone number “if you feel unsafe or have an emergency on campus.”
The Israeli leader plans to meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday and speak separately with Vice President Kamala Harris. Former President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would visit him at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday.
The Israeli leader’s meetings occur in the aftermath of the attempted assassination against Trump and Biden’s decision last weekend to end his reelection campaign and endorse Harris.
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