Protester Arrested After Disruption at Senate Armed Services Hearing

Protester and Officers Injured During Capitol Incident

A protester and three U.S. Capitol Police officers were treated for injuries on Wednesday in a Senate office building in Washington, D.C., after a confrontation during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

According to a statement from the U.S. Capitol Police, the protester, identified as Brian C. McGinnis of North Carolina, was arrested following the incident. He faces three counts of assaulting a police officer and three counts of resisting arrest and unlawful demonstration.

Disruption During Senate Armed Services Hearing

Multiple videos of the incident show McGinnis standing up and shouting during the Senate Armed Services hearing. Police officers immediately moved to remove him from the room. McGinnis shouted, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel!” as he protested the U.S. military campaign in Iran.

Officers pulled McGinnis toward the exit as he resisted their efforts. During the struggle, he grabbed onto a doorway while officers attempted to pull him out of the hearing room.

Role of Sen. Tim Sheehy in Removal Effort

Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Navy SEAL, ran over to assist the officers. He helped pull the protester’s arm off the door while other protesters in the room shouted that McGinnis’ hand was stuck.

The Capitol Police said in their statement that McGinnis “got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room.” The statement also said that he was treated for his injuries.

Statements Following the Arrest

Sheehy said in a statement on social media that he was trying to de-escalate the situation during the confrontation with McGinnis.

A video posted on an X account under the name Brian McGinnis appears to show the same man standing outside the Capitol on Wednesday morning before the hearing. In that video, he says he is “here in D.C. trying to speak out against the Senate” to ask them about sending the country into war. The account’s description states that he is a “Green Party Candidate for US Senate.”

In the video recorded outside the Capitol, McGinnis also addresses people who, in his words, feel “disillusioned and betrayed” by the government, telling them they are “not alone.”