Police deploy pepper spray amid protests against Netanyahu speech at U.S. Capitol

Police deployed pepper spray as demonstrations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress swelled in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. 

Thousands of protesters descended on the nation's capitol, chanting "Free, Free Palestine," and some tried to block streets ahead of Netanyahu's speech, the Associated Press reported. Police wearing gas marks blocked the crowd —which was calling for an end to the war in Gaza that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians — from getting closer to the Capitol, the AP said. 

The U.S. Capitol Police said on social media that pepper spray was being deployed because some members of the crowd had "started to become violent" and failed to obey an order to move back from the police line.