Protester charges at DC Mayor Bowser, calls for cease-fire in Gaza

A pro-Palestinian protester rushed the stage as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke at an arts festival in the nation’s capital on Friday morning.

Bowser was at a podium to announce the start of Aromatic’s weekend community art exhibit on M Street when video shows two demonstrators charging at the stage. One woman managed to get on stage carrying a “DC 4 CEASEFIRE” sign before she was removed by security.

“Oh, here we go. Thank you. Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Bowser says as the woman charges right for her.

The protester got within feet of Bowser’s microphone when she was stopped by security. She can be heard shouting, “D.C. artists against apartheid” as she was led away, video obtained by FOX 5 DC shows.

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Bowser remained at the podium while security took the woman away before making an exit. She returned to the stage several minutes later. She did not address the incident when she returned to speak, according to FOX 5 DC.

No injuries were reported. It is unclear how many total protesters attended the event.

On the night before, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the halls of Congress in an apparent attempt to disrupt President Biden’s State of the Union address.

About 100 protesters showed up at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 3rd Street in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night, about an hour before Biden was set to deliver his speech.

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Protesters could be seen holding up a sign that said, “Biden’s legacy is genocide.”

Photos from the scene showed protesters, many of them wearing face masks, blocking the street.

Fox 5 DC reported earlier in the day that another pro-Palestine protest had taken place nearby in Lafayette Square around 6 p.m. ET.   

Police say one person was arrested and charged with reckless driving.

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The protests in D.C. highlight growing discontent on the left with how Biden has handled the Israel-Hamas war. Activists have demanded that the U.S. stop sending military aid to Israel as civilian casualties mount in Gaza.

Recent Fox News polling showed that support for Palestinians among Democrats has increased 17 points since October. 

That shift among Democrats leads to a starker party divide now (43% siding with Israelis vs. 42% siding with Palestinians) than in October (59% vs. 25%).

The pro-Palestinian sentiment on the left comes five months after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 captives back to Gaza as hostages. Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation and has led a bombing campaign targeting Hamas infrastructure with the ultimate goal of eradicating the terrorist group. Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been caught in the crossfire. 

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.