Capitol Police Vow To Investigate Weekend Protests

On Tuesday I met with U.S. Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse and U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer regarding vandalism that occurred this past weekend during the anti-war protests at the U.S. Capitol.

The U.S. Constitution does protect the freedom of speech, but it also protects property. I was outraged that the Capitol was defaced. The entire Capitol campus is a national treasure and should never be harmed as part of any protest or demonstration. I needed to personally share my thoughts with Chief Morse and I was pleased that he shared my sentiments and explained the situation from this past weekend. He is a straight shooter and his officers did the best they could in a difficult situation.

Chief Morse assured me that Capitol Police officers were not pressured by Members of Congress or ordered by their superiors to allow illegal activity of any kind to take place during the protest. A small number demonstrators engaged in illegal activity by using premeditated shielding methods to hide themselves from the view of officers as they defaced the capitol grounds.

U.S. Capitol Police have made more than a dozen arrests of disruptive protestors in congressional office buildings this week and will continue to investigate the weekend protests, including a review of all surveillance video, to identify potential vandals.

The Capitol is an important symbol of our democracy and I am pleased that the Capitol Police did their best this weekend under trying circumstances. I expect that we will and will use this as an opportunity to improve on crowd control measures in the future. I was pleased that Chief Morse intends to place a renewed emphasis on planning, staffing, and preparation for future demonstrations.