Six officers were injured last night in a violent protest outside the DNC in Washington DC, where approximately 150 pro-Hamas activists were protesting and blocking congress members from leaving.
They were protesting the war in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire or something. It was so bad that it scared lawmakers more than January 6th.
Here’s more via DC Examiner:
One lawmaker said the protest “scared me more than Jan. 6,” according to Axios. “Police were wearing gas masks. … This was not peaceful.”
Capitol Police revealed that injuries to officers ranged “from minor cuts to being pepper-sprayed to being punched.” The protester who faced arrest did so due to assaulting an officer, USCP said.
There were roughly 150 people demonstrating outside the DNC, blocking Congress members from exiting, according to USCP.
It is unknown how many Democratic lawmakers were present when police intervened. It was reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was among the numerous Democrats in attendance when chanting could be heard from outside. However, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) told CNN Wednesday evening that Democratic leadership had already left by the time the lawmakers were blockaded in the building.
Police evacuated the remaining lawmakers, of which there were approximately seven, from the headquarters while demonstrators were pepper-spraying them and attempting to break in, according to Sherman.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) was also present, writing on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the protest blocking all entrances put the involved parties at risk, calling it “irresponsible and dangerous” while noting that the USCP officers had lived through the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
House office buildings were also evacuated during the clash but are now reopened.
“I’m with my baby at my office and the Capitol offices just went into lockdown because of these clowns. Imagine being that unhinged. Nut jobs,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) wrote on X Wednesday.
Below is some of the video from the violent protest: