Several pro-Palestine militants were arrested outside President Trump’s inaugural meeting for the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C., Thursday. The agitators ghoulishly threw an effigy of the president on the ground and sprayed it with fake blood.
Activists wearing masks depicting President Trump, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio were taken into custody after attempting to breach barriers set up by law enforcement. The demonstrators wore Palestinian keffiyehs, held Palestinian flags, and chanted slogans including “Free Palestine!” They erupted in frenzied cheers as the Trump effigy was thrown to the ground, decapitating it. Chanting “U.S. out of Palestine!,” the agitators covered the effigy with fake blood.
President Trump established the Board of Peace to oversee his Gaza ceasefire plan and announced that member states had pledged $7 billion for reconstruction in Gaza. He also stated the United States would contribute $10 billion to the board.
Over 40 nations attended the event at the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters in Foggy Bottom. The Board of Peace, formally established last month under Trump’s chairmanship, included representatives from Argentina, Hungary, India, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, countries such as the United Kingdom—whose officials opted not to join the board due to concerns about Russia’s potential involvement—sent observers.
Israel and Arab states are part of the board and also had representatives present, though no Palestinian representative attended.
Speaking at the gathering, Trump praised the assembled dignitaries, calling it “the most prestigious board ever put together.” He noted that he had seen “great corporate boards” and “great boards” in his lifetime but asserted this group was “peanuts” compared to what he described as a historic assembly.
Trump also hinted at the Board of Peace’s potential role in overseeing the United Nations: “Someday I won’t be here, the United Nations will be… The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly.” He added that the group would work “very closely” with the UN, strengthening its facilities and financial stability.
