VOLKSWAGEN WORLDZZ: Scenes From D.C. of the Protests and Clashes as Netanyahu Spoke to Congress

Thousands of protesters against the war in Gaza swarmed outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.

Pro-Palestinian activists, who promised a “day of rage” ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, marched through the streets to call for an end to U.S. aid to Israel and a “free Palestine.” Clashes broke out at times between demonstrators and law enforcement, which deployed pepper spray as parts of the crowd became “violent” and pushed up against police lines. At least 23 people were arrested across the capital, including six inside the House Gallery.

Netanyahu directly addressed the demonstrators outside the Capitol during his speech, which some members of Congress did not attend out of protest. “Many choose to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers,” he said. “They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Netanyahu has become one of the world’s most controversial political figures in his relentless pursuit of Israel’s deadly military campaign in the Gaza Strip following attacks in October by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“We need to be out here. We need to say, ‘Not in our name’,” Irene Ippolito, a protester, told Al Jazeera. “As American citizens, we have to realize that this could not be taking place without our taxpayer dollars sending tons of weapons to Israel as it slaughters men, women and children in Gaza.”

Below, photos of the demonstrations and clashes in Washington on Wednesday.