Anti-Israel protesters "violently" entered the lobby of an Israeli consulate building in San Francisco, Consul General Marco Sermoneta confirmed in a statement to Just the News.
"We are appalled, but not surprised, at the attempt by a handful of pro-Hamas rioters to violently compromise our ability to operate as a diplomatic mission. They will not succeed," Sermoneta, who oversees Israel's Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, said.
The San Francisco Police Department responded to a call for a protest in the consulate building around 9 a.m. local time, and as of 12:30 p.m., officers were on the scene and handling the protest, a spokesperson for the department told Just the News.
Police have detained individuals for potential arrest, and officers have issued multiple warnings for people to independently disperse, the spokesperson also said.
None of the consulate staff have been physically harmed by the demonstrators, a spokesperson for the consulate said.
The Palestinian Youth Movement Bay Area, a local chapter of an international activist group, issued a statement on behalf of the protesters. The group said that more than 100 "SF Bay Area people of conscience" took over the consulate to show "solidarity" with Gaza, where Israel is fighting against Hamas.
Sermoneta thanked police for their "rapid response" and pledged to continue providing services despite the demonstration.
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