No Consequences for Pro-Palestine Rioters

• Many protesters in last month’s pro-Palestine march in DC had their charges dropped

• Before that, the vast majority of BLM protesters had charges dropped in 2020

• Right-wing protesters have had the book thrown at them, underscoring a clear double standard

The story

Last month, protesters promised chaos when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to town to address a joint session of Congress. They threatened a "day of rage" ahead of Netanyahu's visit and flooded Washington, DC, demanding an end to US aid to Israel and Netanyahu’s arrest.

Chants rang out: “Bibi, Bibi, we’re not done! The intifada has just begun!” as Palestinian-flag-waving activists filled the streets in rage. Protesters accused Netanyahu (Bibi for short) of genocide against the Palestinian people, as Israel’s army fights to eliminate the terrorist group that murdered 1,200 Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.

Activists burned American and Israeli flags and paper effigies of Netanyahu. Some carried jihadist flags and called for a “final solution” — referring to the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jewish people. Transgender activists and communists tied themselves to the march to showcase their solidarity.

At DC’s Union Station, protesters defaced statues, graffitied phrases like “All Zionists are bastards” and “Hamas is comin,” and raised the Palestinian flag to replace the American flag. Some clashed with police, prompting the use of pepper spray to keep rioters at a distance.

By the time the pandemonium subsided, 25 had been arrested. Just two days later, prosecutors dropped charges against nearly half. Ten of the most serious arrests occurred at Union Station, where the American flag was taken down and officers were assaulted. Two of those cases were dismissed, leaving spectators stunned and puzzled as to how this could happen.

Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police labor committee, lamented “it’s a slap in the face to law enforcement who are doing their jobs, and these prosecutors throw these charges out.” Protesters repeatedly assaulted police officers as they made arrests, yet the perpetrators faced no consequences. Papathanasiou continued, “Shame on them for … giving free passes to criminals.”

The politics

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is initiating an investigation of the National Park Service (NPS) director “regarding the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to deploy adequate resources” which could have averted the riots at Union Station.

Cruz is specifically demanding that the NPS explain why it deployed only 29 officers to guard Union Station, an area under their jurisdiction, for a protest with a permit for 5,000 attendees.

Many on the left supported the protests, including dozens of congressional staffers who organized a walkout during Netanyahu’s address. Among supporters of the pro-Palestine marches and of the “racial justice” marches in 2020, prevailing sentiment is that disorderly behavior and violent conduct should be excused because the cause is just.

In 2021, a writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader expressed this view, arguing that charges should be dropped entirely for protesters-turned-rioters, since they were marching for a righteous cause. In fact, stated the author, the city of Lexington, KY should thank protesters for drawing attention to the movement.

Getting off easy

The trend of violent left-wing protesters facing little or no consequences has a long history but, in recent memory, can be traced to the George Floyd riots. In summer 2020, marches erupted across the United States in protest of George Floyd's death and broader issues with American policing. In Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, protesters burned down entire city blocks in a furious ecstasy.

Despite mass arson, assaulting law enforcement, and disorderly conduct, one analysis from the UK’s The Guardian found that the vast majority of charges against protesters were eventually dropped. In nearly every jurisdiction examined, over 90 percent of cases were not pursued.

In Dallas and Philadelphia, the dismissal rate climbed as high as 95 percent, while Houston and Los Angeles saw about 93 percent of citations dismissed.

San Francisco's progressive district attorney, Chesa Boudin, was particularly lenient and dismissed all 127 cases tied to "peaceful protest-related charges.” Boudin proved to be too progressive even for San Francisco, as he was recalled fewer than two years later.

On the other hand, the iron fist of the state hammered protesters perceived as being right-wing who were involved in demonstrations.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) brought charges against over 1,200 individuals involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the capitol, and 467 were jailed. U.S. District Attorney Matthew Graves went so far as to recommend prosecuting individuals on the lawn outside the capitol who never actually entered the building.

After the recent Supreme Court decision on Fischer v. United States, which ruled that the DOJ overreached in charging Jan. 6 participants with obstruction of justice, up to 126 defendants may see their charges dropped.

While the Jan. 6 riot was violent and unruly, and tarnished the image of the world's most powerful government, the loss of lives and monetary damage does not compare to that of the 2020 riots. Additionally, violence and hatred from left-wing anti-Israel movements have persisted for nearly a year, unlike the single evening of unrest.

While left-wing rioters go unpunished for attacking police, defacing statues, and assaulting peaceful counter-protesters, right-wingers are subjected to the full force of the law.

Why it matters

The pattern of left-wing protesters getting off scot-free while right-wingers face severe punishment is very destabilizing for American society.

As recently seen in the UK, protests exploded into violent riots over migrant violence, after years of pent-up frustration by the British right finally boiled over. When an entire segment of society feels that they cannot speak up about worsening issues in their communities, a backlash becomes almost inevitable.

As the American media and Justice Department continue to go soft on left-leaning protest movements, conservative Americans are increasingly feeling gaslit about the fairness of the supposedly blind justice system.