White House staff had to be “relocated” after thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters stormed the building, threatening to breach the security fence and throwing bloody dolls, as part of a major demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Police defending the People's House donned riot gear as a baying mob pelted them with dolls and other projectiles.
Video taken at Saturday's event shows the metal fencing being shaken so hard that parts of it were pushed back, forcing intelligence officials to rush to one section to prevent a breach.
The Secret Service later confirmed that the anti-limestone fence had “temporary damage” that was “immediately repaired.”
The rally is part of a global day of protests marking 100 days since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and took hundreds more hostage.
Thousands of pro-Palestine supporters marched to the White House on Saturday demanding a ceasefire in Gaza
The demonstration marked the 100th day since Hamas' October 7 attack and the start of Israel's retaliatory strikes
Protesters threw bloody dolls over the White House fence to symbolize the child victims of the conflict
The demonstration in front of the White House was the second largest pro-Palestine rally in Washington DC since the start of the war
According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, more than 23,8000 people have since been killed by Israel's retaliatory attacks in Gaza.
Today's demonstration is the second largest in support of the Gaza Strip in front of the White House in Washington since the start of the war.
The temporary destruction caused during the rally resulted in White House staff and journalists having to be evacuated from the area.
“As a precautionary measure, some members of the media and staff were temporarily relocated near Pennsylvania Avenue while the issue was addressed,” the Secret Service told Fox News.
“The Secret Service made no arrests in connection with the march and there was no damage to the White House or adjacent buildings.”
Protesters calling for a ceasefire used emotional symbols to convey their message. At one point, women dressed in Palestinian clothing staged a sit-in protest with bloody dolls tied in sheets.
In Hamas-controlled territory, nearly two-thirds of the 23,843 people killed during the conflict were women and children, according to the Health Ministry.
Protesters also carried Palestinian flags and held signs questioning President Joe Biden's eligibility as a presidential candidate due to his strong support for Israel.
Some signs read: “No votes for Genocide Joe,” “Biden has blood on his hands,” and “Let Gaza live.”
At one point, the fence was shaken so violently that parts of it were pushed back as protesters streamed toward the White House, forcing secret security forces to flock to part of it to prevent a breach
The rally took place alongside other anti-war demonstrations around the world
The protest was organized by the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine and other groups
Vendors also sold South African flags as protesters chanted slogans in support of the country, whose allegations of genocide against Israel prompted the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, to take up the case.
Dan Devries, a New York resident, said he attended the protest because he wanted to see a free Gaza Strip, but he would not vote for Biden or possible Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“I see this war as part of the US effort to compensate for its economic decline through continuous wars,” Devries said.
Washington resident Phil Kline held a sign calling on Pope Francis to excommunicate Biden.
“I know he is a devout Catholic.” Maybe he will take this issue seriously if the Pope removes him from the church. “There is no justification for bombing civilians,” Kline said, but added that he still intends to vote for Biden in the November election.
The rally was organized by the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine and other groups.
It took place alongside demonstrations in London, Paris, Rome, Dublin, Johannesburg and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Family members of Palestinians killed in the conflict told grief-filled stories to thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Washington.
The rally came a day after the US launched a second round of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen
The event featured emotional testimony from people whose loved ones were killed by Israel during the conflict
Biden has long expressed support for Israel but confirmed that he is working with the Israeli government to persuade it to reduce its attacks on Gaza
Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother and brother, were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
“Dozens of bodies of my family members are still lying under the rubble,” said Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey. “President Biden can easily put an end to this genocide… He can easily pick up the phone and call Israel to stop this madness.”
The rally came a day after the U.S. launched a second round of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen, which also sparked protests in New York and Seattle.
The attack was in response to months of attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea that they said were aimed at ending Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip.
However, the ships targeted by the Iran-backed rebels have become increasingly indiscriminate and they have been warned to face consequences if they do not stop their attacks.
Although Biden has long been an ardent supporter of Israel, he has expressed concern about civilian deaths over the course of the war.
He previously described Israel's bombings as “indiscriminate” and said on Monday he had been “quietly working” with the Israeli government to encourage it to reduce its attacks and “significantly withdraw from Gaza.”