Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the violent pro-Hamas protests at Columbus Circle outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response:

“With its troubling history of disorder and violence, it's confounding that the National Park Service would grant ANSWER Coalition a public gathering permit. To no one’s surprise, their gathering turned violent and led the National Park Service to revoke the permit for the event. While I strongly believe in our right to engage in peaceful demonstrations, the events that took place on July 24 were anything but peaceful. The hateful rhetoric and violence displayed that day have no place in America. The National Park Service must demonstrate a greater commitment to work with the Park Police to prevent further violence and destruction on federal lands.”

Background

On July 24, 2024, the ANSWER Coalition led a large public protest that quickly devolved into a riot on National Park Service lands in the Union Station area of Washington, D.C. During this specific protest, the ANSWER Coalition and riot participants broke almost every rule of their public gathering permit, which resulted in the permit being revoked. The riot involved burning American flags, vandalizing historic landmarks, assaulting police officers and raising foreign flags on American soil. ANSWER Coalition has been involved in protests across the United States, including those targeting college campuses and infrastructure as part of the broader “Shut it Down for Palestine” movement. Concerningly, these groups and their affiliates not only destroy property and cause violence on campuses and federal lands but also have ties to adversarial foreign organizations like Hamas and the Chinese Communist Party.

The House Committee on Natural Resources has been actively investigating these protests and the concerning ties between the organizers and foreign adversaries of the United States. This investigation is ongoing and working in conjunction with additional committees of jurisdiction investigating ANSWER and similar groups.

Read the committee’s initial letter following the destructive protests here and letter to the ANSWER Coalition here.

To learn more, click here.