Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party, issued a statement condemning anti-Israel riots that defaced numerous monuments in Washington D.C. and led to clashes with police.

As Fox News reports, the riots were planned around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, which was followed by a meeting with Joe Biden on Thursday. Rioters carried anti-Netanyahu signs and a giant caricature of the Prime Minister, spray-painting graffiti on monuments located outside D.C.’s Union Station.

“Yesterday, at Union Station in Washington, D.C. we saw despicable acts by unpatriotic protesters and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric,” said Harris’ statement. “I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. ”

Rioters could be seen tearing down American flags from flagpoles and replacing them with Palestinian flags. One rioter vandalized the Christopher Columbus memorial by spray-painting in red the words “Hamas is coming” onto the monument. At least one rioter was seen carrying the flag of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, which has been responsible for the overwhelming majority of the violence in the ongoing war in Israel; others were shouting “Allahu Akbar,” a common phrase shouted by terrorists shortly before carrying out attacks.

Harris’ statement appeared to be issued in response to criticism from Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican nominee for Vice President, who called out the fact that she had not said anything publicly about the riots.

“Anti-American and pro-Hamas rioters burned the American flag in front of the US Capitol, and the woman who wants to be our president is still refusing to condemn it,” said Senator Vance on X.

In her statement, Harris said “I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way.”

“I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way,” she continued.

The statement was seen by many as a dramatic 180-degree turn from her prior opposition to Israel amidst the ongoing war. Harris did not greet Netanyahu as he arrived in Washington, and she did not attend his speech before Congress; about 50 other congressional Democrats also boycotted his speech.