The congressional group known as the Squad received a security briefing from the Capitol Police on Thursday, October 12, 2023, amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
The briefing was part of the police’s increased security precautions in response to Hamas’ call for a global day of protests on Friday, October 13, 2023.
The lawmakers, which included Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), make up some of the party’s left wing on foreign policy and have at times been critics of the Israeli government.
They have faced criticism and threats for their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some of them have expressed support for ending the Israeli “occupation” and called for peace on both sides.
This is not the first time that “The Squad” faces threats. In the wake of the January 6 insurrection its members had been vocal critics of former President Donald Trump and his supporters, who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results by storming the Capitol.
According to ProPublica, some rioters were looking for Ocasio-Cortez as a specific target of their ire. The Squad members in the past have also denounced some of their Republican colleagues in Congress for interacting with the rioters or attending the “Save America” rally that preceded the attack. They also frequently call for reforms to address the root causes of the violence, such as white supremacy, racism and misinformation. This has led to threats against them from the far-right supporters and the media.
The Capitol Police said that there were no specific threats against Congress, but that they were not taking any chances. They also held multiple briefings with other groups of lawmakers regarding security. The chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pramila Jayapal, urged her colleagues to support the diverse viewpoints of their members and to stand against antisemitism and Islamophobia.
In response, Tlaib said in a statement Wednesday, “I do not support the targeting and killing of civilians, whether in Israel or Palestine. The fact that some have suggested otherwise is offensive and rooted in bigoted assumptions about my faith and ethnicity.”
The lawmakers briefed are women of color, and Tlaib and Omar are the first two Muslim women ever elected to Congress.
Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on a panel overseeing Capitol security, said in a brief interview he was “very concerned” about lawmakers’ safety amid the bitter controversies arising from the conflict in the Middle East and had spent much of Thursday talking with the Hill’s security officials about lawmaker security.
“I think we’re taking all necessary steps and the Capitol Police and Sergeant at Arms, I think are doing a great job,” he said. “I think we have it in hand, but it bears constant vigilance.”
