Protesters arrested during #WomenDisobey demonstration at Senate office building

Dozens of protesters on Thursday staged a sit-in at the U.S. Senate Hart Building in Washington to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policy.

Police have arrested about 40 people — mostly women — inside the atrium of the federal building as part of the #WomenDisobey protest, according to CNN.

Rowdy protest underway in the Senate’s Hart building, with women sitting down, chanting and protesting inaction in dealing with immigration. https://t.co/a5SlX89ztL

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 28, 2018

“They want to create a big moment up here on Capitol Hill the day that many lawmakers will wrap up their legislative work and head home without addressing the family separation issue,” CNN correspondent Sunlen Serfaty reported.

Several Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), met with the protesters.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) sat down on the floor and joined the sit-in.

.@SenGillibrand joins us for the #WOMENDISOBEY protest. We’re in Congress NOW calling on Congress to #abolishICE, #EndFamilyDetention, and decriminalize immigrants. Photo credit @KishaBari pic.twitter.com/us9q1IilQm

— Women’s March (@womensmarch) June 28, 2018

Demonstrators draped themselves in mylar blankets, similar to the ones given to immigrant children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Crowds from the “Women Disobey” march disrupted traffic in the streets of Washington earlier in the day. The event was organized to protest President Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy of prosecuting anyone accused of illegally crossing into the U.S. via the southern border.

Trump signed an executive order last week, after days of bipartisan pressure, that ended the practice of separating families who were detained after entering the U.S.

The Women’s March, which mobilized worldwide protests the day after Trump‘s inauguration in 2017, organized Thursday’s march.

Women are being arrested by the hundreds in Congress demanding an end to the criminalization of immigrants. #EndFamilyDetention #AbolishICE pic.twitter.com/ns5KC4FRlV

— Women’s March (@womensmarch) June 28, 2018

Foil blankets are piling up as women are arrested here at the Senate. @RepJayapal joined us to demand an end to immigrant detention. Photo credit @KishaBari pic.twitter.com/bEe7pi4Z2U

— Women’s March (@womensmarch) June 28, 2018

#WomenDisobey: Dems are showing up to support protesters. I’ve spotted @SenGillibrand, @SenMarkey, @RepJayapal, and @SenDuckworth – with her baby. pic.twitter.com/4hoOTWW5ix

— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) June 28, 2018