Ohio Republican Party meeting ends abruptly over anti-DeWine protesters

An Ohio Republican Party meeting had to be ended early due to the presence of protesters against Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.

The committee voted to end the meeting early because the protesters, who were from multiple groups around the state, were disrupting the event and attempting to participate in voice votes, Cleveland.com reported. 

Everyone was told to leave the room except for members of the committee and the media, with police arriving after the committee voted to end the meeting.

Reporters did not see officers forcibly try to remove protesters. 

DeWine’s candidacy for reelection has sparked controversy in his party, with many Republicans believing the governor is too anti-Trump.

DeWine also got in trouble with his party because he supported business closures early in the pandemic as a means of trying to slow the spread of the virus. 

The meeting was reportedly contentious from the start, with even issues that normally don’t spark debate, such as the treasury report and the approval of minutes for the last meeting, becoming antagonistic. 

The committee was not able to get to two of the five resolutions on the agenda due to the meeting ending early. It is not clear if the resolutions will be included in the next meeting on Feb. 4, according to the local news outlet.

The three resolutions the committee did address were tabled.