U.S. Capitol Police use pepper spray as protests of Netanyahu speech become 'violent'

U.S. Capitol Police said it has used pepper spray as anti-Israeli protests become "violent" on Wednesday during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Capitol Hill.

Netanyahu met with congressional leaders on Wednesday ahead of his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. 

"Part of the crowd has started to become violent at First Street and Constitution Avenue, NW," Capitol Police wrote on their official X account.

"The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line. We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line," the post also said.

During his address, Netanyahu said anti-Israeli protestors aren’t making a distinction between those targeting terrorists and Hamas targeting innocent people.

"Incredibly, many anti-Israel protesters, many choose to stand with evil,” he said. “They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers”

Netanyahu said anti-Israel protestors should be "ashamed of themselves."