Anti-war protesters spray paint Capitol building
By Jackie Kucinich
Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of thewest front steps of the United States Capitol building after police were ordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources toldThe Hill.
According to the sources, police officers were livid when theywere told to fall back by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Phillip Morse andDeputy Chief Daniel Nichols. "They were the commanders on the scene," one source said,who requested anonymity. "It was disgusting."
After police ceded the stairs, located on the lower west frontof the Capitol, the building was locked down, the source added.
A second source who witnessed the incident said that the policehad the crowd stopped at Third Street, but were told to bring the policeline in front of the Capitol.
Approximately 300 protesters were allowed to take the steps andbegan to spray paint "anarchist symbols" and phrase such as "Ourcapitol building" and "you can’t stop us" around the area, thesource said.
Morse responded to these claims in an e-mail Sunday afternoon,explaining that the protesters were seeking confrontation with the police.
"While there were minor instances of spray painting ofpavement by a splinter group of Anarchists who were seeking a confrontationwith the police, their attempts to breach into secure areas and rush thedoors of the Capitol were thwarted," Morse said. "The graffiti waseasily removed by the dedicated [Architect of the Capitol] staff, some ofwhom responded on their day off to quickly clean the area."
He added, "It is the USCP's duty and responsibility to protectthe Capitol complex, staff and public while allowing the public to exercisetheir First Amendment rights … at the end of the day, both occurredwithout injury to protestors or officers."
Yet, the sources who talked to The Hill were furious thatprotesters were not stopped before reaching the Capitol.
"To get that close to the Capitol building, that isridiculous," the second source said. "[Police] were told not to arrestanyone."
The second source added that police had to stand by and watch asprotesters posed in front of their graffiti.
thehill.com
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