WASHINGTON – Vandals ripped photos of hostages in Gaza from the wall outside the Capitol Hill office of Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois on July 4, his office said Friday.

A photo Schneider posted on the social media site X showed the pirated images littering the hallway of the Cannon House Office Building. The hostages were kidnapped in Hamas terror attacks in Israel on October 7.

The vandalism followed loud demonstrations by protesters in the middle of the night last weekend outside Schneider's home in Highland Park.

Schneider is one of the most pro-Israel members of Congress.

Schneider said in a statement: “My office in the Capitol was vandalized yesterday in a heinous act of hate in which the posters of the over 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded, and thrown across the hallway. This is a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4th, our country's Independence Day. Unfortunately, it was just one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy.

“I am disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling the Fourth of July a 'terrorist holiday' and burning American flags. This is not just happening in my office in Washington, DC,” Schneider said.

“More than 700 miles from the Capitol, my house was attacked at 2:30 a.m. last weekend by about 50 masked protesters banging drums, blowing horns and shouting anti-Semitic slogans. The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4, not calling for peace but condemning the United States of America,” he said.

“These actions do not promote peace. Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists and enable them to continue to hold hostage not only those they have kidnapped from Israel, but also all civilians in Gaza.”