A pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) building has left Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., feeling more “rattled” than the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. During the protest, exits were blocked and clashes ensued between the police and protestors, causing Dingell to be temporarily trapped inside the Capitol Hill office building. Multiple officers reported injuries from the violent confrontation, including being punched and pepper-sprayed, according to police reports.
“This rattled me more than January 6th (attack) did,” Dingell told The Detroit News. “I was scared. Someone is going to get hurt at one of these things. They can get out of control.”
The demonstrators, numbering approximately 150 according to Capitol Police, were advocating for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. However, the protest escalated into violence. Video footage from the scene indicates that several protestors engaged in shoving matches with police officers. There were also alleged attempts at breaching the DNC building by some participants.
The congresswoman was confined inside the building for about an hour during the disturbing event. House Democratic leadership later conceded that the protest “exceeded a peaceful demonstration.”
BREAKING
Absolute mayhem outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington DC.
Ceasefire advocates who were protesting and blocking the doors of the DNC building are being pulled off, thrown down, and arrested by law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/uCEsYGQt8L
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 16, 2023