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WASHINGTON — A Republican senator joined Capitol Police in a physical confrontation with an anti-war protester during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, leaving the demonstrator and three officers injured in a dramatic scene captured on video .
The Confrontation
The incident unfolded just before 3 p.m. in the Hart Senate Office Building when Brian McGinnis, a former Marine sergeant and Green Party candidate running for Senate in North Carolina, stood up and began shouting during the hearing .
McGinnis protested the U.S. military campaign in Iran, yelling: “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel!” and “No one wants to fight for Israel” .
As Capitol Police officers moved to escort him out, McGinnis resisted by grabbing onto a doorframe, refusing to leave .
Senator’s Involvement
Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), a former Navy SEAL and member of the Armed Services panel, rushed over to assist the officers . Video shows Sheehy grabbing McGinnis’s leg and later attempting to pry his arm from the doorframe as the protester continued resisting .
An audible snap can be heard on the video as McGinnis clung to the doorway, with onlookers shouting “His hand, his hand! Oh! His hand!” . It appeared his arm or wrist was injured during the struggle .
Aftermath and Charges
A Capitol Police spokesperson stated: “This afternoon, an unruly man who started to illegally protest during a hearing, put everyone in a dangerous position by violently resisting and fighting our officer’s attempts to remove him from the room” .
Senator’s Defense
Sheehy addressed the incident on social media platform X, writing:
“Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protestor from the Armed Services hearing. He was fighting back. I decided to help out and deescalate the situation. This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one. I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence” .
Free Speech vs. Congressional Decorum
The incident has sparked debate over the boundaries of lawful protest within government buildings. Capitol Police emphasized that “protests are not allowed inside the Congressional Buildings. There are plenty of other spots on Capitol Grounds, outside, where demonstrations are allowed” .
McGinnis had posted a video on X earlier that day announcing his intentions, saying he came to Washington “to speak out against the Senate” over the push toward war, telling viewers: “Anyone who feels disillusioned and betrayed by our government, you are not alone” .
The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions over U.S. military involvement in the Middle East following recent strikes on Iran .
