Anti-Israel protesters welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington DC on Wednesday by letting loose thousands of maggots, mealworms and crickets in the hotel where he is staying.

A grassroots pro-Palestine organisation was reportedly behind the infestation at Watergate Hotel, posting a video on Instagram that showed maggots and mealworms heaped on the white tablecloth of a banquet table and crickets crawling on the floors of various hallways. The caption of the post said that protesters “manufactured chaos last night so that Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service had no peace as they continue to terrorise our people.”

The post claimed that the creatures were released on multiple floors of the hotel, and fire alarms were triggered “for over 30 minutes on multiple floors to ensure that there will be no rest before Netanyahu and Congress disgrace themselves in front of the world for failing to achieve any of their military and political objectives.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a controversial address to a joint session of Congress in Washington, DC, 24 July, 2024, while pro-Palestine demonstrators outside the Capitol protested his visit. (Photo by ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu’s contentious visit to the US sparked large-scale protests across the capital where he addressed members of Congress on Wednesday. Demonstrators numbering in the thousands chanted “Free, Free Palestine” outside the Capitol building during Netanyahu’s speech, and police officers deployed pepper spray after members of the crowd allegedly became violent. Protesters outside Union Station in DC burned a US flag, and fountains around the city were dyed blood red.

Pro-Palestinian protesters burn a US flag at Union Station on 24 July, 2024 during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the US. (Photo by MATTHEW HATCHER/AFP via Getty Images)

"We are aware of the social media video circulating on multiple platforms involving The Watergate Hotel and the unfortunate incident that occurred at the property yesterday," the hotel said in a statement. "We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal. We are cooperating fully with authorities, who are handling the situation."

The hotel was under tighter security than usual for Netanyahu’s visit this week, with police shutting down streets around the hotel and erecting two rows of fences around the facility. It is unclear how the group behind the incident were able to get into the hotel.