A group of approximately 60 people was arrested outside the American Capitol on Friday evening after violating a police line of bicycle racks and moving to steps leading to the Capitol Rotunda, according to the Capitol Police.
The group, consisting of veterans and military family members, planned a sit-in on the Capitol steps to protest that President Donald Trump is using the National Guard and active marines in Los Angeles, as well as a military parade on Saturday, the 79th birthday of Trump, according to a press release from organizers.
A group of approximately 75 protesters demonstrated peacefully at the Supreme Court, across the American Capitol, according to a statement from the Capitol Police. While the group left the area, officers began to set up a circumference of bicycle racks to keep the protesters away from the Capitol.
“A few people pushed the bicycle rack down and illegally crossed the police line as they ran to the Rotunda stairs,” said Capitol's police. “Our officers immediately blocked the group and began to perform arrests.”
The police said: “Everything will be accused of illegal demonstration and exceeding a police line. Extra charges For some people will include an attack on a police officer and oppose arrest.”
The protest was organized by two interest groups – about face: veterans against the war and veterans for peace. The short sit-in followed a rally and press conference, according to the press release from the organizers.
“We want a future in which we invest in care for veterans, in health care and in education, not where we spend $ 50 million on a parade,” said Brittany Ramos Debarros, a veteran of the army fight and organizing director of Over Face: Veterans Against the War, in a statement.
The arrests come on the eve of one of the largest meetings expected in Washington, DC, this summer while the army is celebrating its 250th birthday. On Saturday, it is expected that hundreds of thousands of different events around the Capitol attend, as well as the Military Parade, which will cost an estimated $ 45 million and will contain soldiers, tanks, planes and other military equipment.
Protesters are held after they went on June 13, 2025 by barrier fences on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. – Nathan Howard/Reuters
US Secret Service leads the security for the event, which will be maintained by similar screens of the demonstrators who are reportedly pushed near the Capitol on Friday evening, but will also be enforced by thousands of officers, 18 miles of anti-scalable screens, drones supervision, against SLUIPSCHUTTERS.
Special agent who is responsible for the Washington Field Office Matt McCool told CNN that the secret service and other federal partners keep an eye on the protests in Los Angeles and throughout the country, but say that they have already planned for the potential of mass protests on Saturday.
From Friday evening, agencies do not check an active threat against the parade and surrounding events.
This story and the head are updated with additional details.
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