Democratic lawmaker says protest outside DNC ‘rattled me more than January 6th’

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), one of the lawmakers inside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters when protesters clashed with police outside the building this week, said the experience rattled her more than the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

“This rattled me more than January 6th 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 Detroit News reported Dingell tried to exit the building through multiple doors, but protesters had blocked the area. She told the outlet an officer stopped her at the front and pointed to a medic treating another officer who had been pepper-sprayed outside.

U.S. Capitol Police said they tried to hold back about 150 protestors outside the DNC building in Washington on Wednesday night. Protestors were demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

In a post online, Capitol Police said six officers were treated for injuries stemming from the protests, “ranging from minor cuts to being pepper sprayed to being punched.” Organizers of the protest said 90 of its demonstrators were injured after skirmishes broke out with police.

About 10 members of Congress reportedly attended the event Wednesday evening. Dingell told the Detroit News that those inside could hear protesters chanting outside. She said members were trapped in the building for about an hour before police evacuated them.

Several other members of Congress shared their experiences being evacuated from the event. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) praised police for their efforts to evacuate lawmakers amid the clashes with those outside, saying, “I’m … keenly aware that it could have been much worse.”

“We have handled hundreds of peaceful protests, but last night’s group was not peaceful,” Capitol Police said in a statement Thursday. “The crowd failed to obey our lawful orders to move back from the DNC, where Members of Congress were in the building.”

Police identified 24-year-old Ruben Arthur Camacho of Woodbridge, N.Y., as the sole protestor arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer. Capitol Police said an officer “witnessed Camacho slam another officer into a garage door and then punch the female officer in the face.”

“When demonstrations cross the line into illegal activity it is our responsibility to maintain order and ensure people’s safety,” police added in their statement.

The Hill has reached out to Dingell’s office for further comment.