Eleven people arrested during ‘Remove Trump’ protests in Senate buildings

Protesters occupied part of the Russell Senate Office Building on Thursday shortly after the Senate accepted a pair of articles presented by House Democrats officially opening the impeachment trial against President Trump. 

The demonstrators are a part of “Remove Trump,” a progressive group associated with Women’s March, March for Truth and Indivisible. They stood under the Russell Rotunda, a popular live shot location for TV reporters covering Senate hearings. 

BREAKING: Right now, outraged Americans are engaging in civil disobedience in the Russell Senate Building, demanding the removal of Donald Trump from office #SwarmTheSenate #RemoveTrump pic.twitter.com/ZT9mZ4ESdP

— Remove Trump #SwarmTheSenate (@Remove_TrumpNow) January 16, 2020

Not so silent now. pic.twitter.com/enP4RPEeDR

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) January 16, 2020

The originally silent protesters spread out a flag with the words “Remove Trump” and then began chanting. Protesters eventually made it inside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) office. 

RIGHT NOW: Americans have flooded @senatemajldr‘s office to demand he recuse himself from the impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump #SwarmTheSenate #RemoveTrump https://t.co/j7fJIfRQRO pic.twitter.com/qNohjIi4dY

— Remove Trump #SwarmTheSenate (@Remove_TrumpNow) January 16, 2020

Videos and images on social media showed Capitol Police confronting the demonstrators, though it’s unclear if any of them were arrested. In one image, Capitol Police allegedly singled out a disabled 85-year-old woman as they attempted to defuse another group of protesters in the Hart Senate Office Building.

According to Capitol Police, six people were arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding at the Russell building about 1 p.m. An hour later, police arrested five people at the atrium of the Hart building for similar charges.

Barbara is 85 years old and she was protesting today in the Hart Senate building for the Remove Trump campaign. She uses a device to sit because she can barely stand, Capitol Police singled her out and threatened her arrest. Let’s make this viral.pic.twitter.com/TTUhH8n62q

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) January 16, 2020

Updated 4 p.m.