Capitol Police around 4 p.m Thursday began arresting an unwieldy mob of some 300 protesters who have staged a sit-in protest inside a Senate office building’s atrium.
Demonstrating against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the protesters have been holding up signs and chanting throughout the day, the Associated Press reports. “Others who were watching on upper floors unfurled banners that said ‘we believe Christine Ford,'” said the AP.
As police started to empty the Senate office building’s atrium, those protesters willing to be arrested sat down and began loudly chanting. Police have surrounded the protesters and are leading them off a few at a time wearing plastic cuffs. …
The protesters include a loud contingent from Maine, and they’re calling on Susan Collins, a key Republican senator, to vote against Kavanaugh.
Collins said Thursday that the FBI appears to have conducted a “very thorough investigation” of the sexual misconduct claims against Kavanaugh.
“No matter where they went, chants of ‘Say it loud, say it clear, Kavanaugh’s not welcome here!’ and ‘Whose court? Our court!’ rose from the crowd as demonstrators linked arms and carried signs. Many signs read ‘KavaNOPE’ and said the judge was ‘unfit to serve,” CNN reported.
As the protest entered the Senate Hart Building, Capitol Police peacefully started arresting protesters one by one. Among those arrested was comedian Amy Schumer, who is a second cousin to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.