Arizona abortion protest: Police release tear gas, lawmakers 'held hostage' in Senate building
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 4 years ago • 31 commentsBy: Lawrence Richard (Fox News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Law enforcement officers in Phoenix, Arizona used tear gas to break up a sizable group of protesters outside the state's Senate building following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade.
"Protesters threatened to break the AZ Senate entryway glass," Republican Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers tweeted, as members were in the middle of voting on a series of bills.
The situation escalated into a "hostage" situation as lawmakers were instructed not to exit the building, Republican Arizona State Senator Kelly Townsend said.
The Republican Caucus of the State Senate later called the protest an attempted "insurrection."
Law enforcement is forced to deploy tear gas to disperse protesters outside the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. (Arizona State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita)
"We are currently there being held hostage inside the Senate building due to members of the public trying to breach our security," Townsend tweeted Friday night. "We smell tear gas and the children of one of the members are in the office sobbing with fear."
"I expect a J24 committee to be created immediately," she added, referencing the January 6 committee that is investigating the breach of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
Law enforcement is forced to deploy tear gas to disperse protesters outside the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. (Rep. Sarah Liguori) (Rep. Sarah Liguori)
The state's Attorney General, Mark Brnovich, said that "this wasn't a peaceful or lawful protest."
"An angry mob defaced the Arizona Peace Officers Memorial last night, after being dispersed from the State Capitol. This wasn't a peaceful or lawful protest," Brnovich said. "We must never tolerate these criminal attempts to tear down our institutions and intimidate our officials."
According to the lawmakers, law enforcement officers then deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds and regain control of the building.
"Crowd was dispersed with tear gas." Rogers added, noting the protests were still continuing and the situation remained "very dangerous."
Another lawmaker confirmed the use of tear gas outside the building.
"While working inside we were interrupted by the sound of bangs and smell of tear gas," Rep. Sarah Liguori tweeted Friday evening. "Protestors cleared from the Capitol."
Heavily-armed officers were seen in and around the legislative building.
The crowd of protesters dispersed and lawmakers resumed their legislative schedule in a secure room.
"We are headed to a secure room to go vote," Rogers said.
"Everyone is okay and we are finishing our work," Townsend added.
"Feeling safe at the Capitol as I sit by 3 of my fellow senators who are armed," added Arizona State Legislator Warren Petersen.
In the hours following the situation, several members thanked the law enforcement officials who protected the Capitol.
"God bless you guys," exclaimed Townsend.
"We are safe inside… God bless law enforcement," Rogers said.
The Republican Caucus of the State Senate also commended law enforcement for preventing an "insurrection."
"Violent pro-abortion protestors' attempts of an insurrection at the Arizona State Senate were thwarted Friday night, thanks to the swift actions from local and state law enforcement," said Kim Quintero, the Republican Caucus' communications director.
The GOP group said the "extremist demonstrations" were carried out by people "forcibly trying to make entry [to the building] by breaking windows and pushing down doors."
"We are incredibly thankful for our local law enforcement who quickly intervened during what could have been a destructive and dangerous situation for our members, staff, and public inside the Senate," said Senate President Karen Fann.
Friday was the last day of the session for state senators, who wrapped up a series of votes after the disruption.
The votes included a massive expansion of the state's private school voucher system that passed the House earlier this week.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade Friday afternoon, effectively giving individual states the power to allow, limit, or ban the practice as they see fit.
As of June 24, Planned Parenthood of Arizona paused all abortions, both medical and surgical. Seven of nine licensed providers in the state immediately halted abortions, according to AZ Central.
Arizona has competing laws that either completely ban the procedure or limit it to 15 weeks after a woman becomes pregnant. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the law limiting abortions to 15 weeks in March.
Thousands of protesters march around the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision Friday, June 24, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The old law, created in Arizona's territorial days, strictly prohibits abortion. It also calls for a mandatory prison sentence of two to five years for violators. The only exception to the ban is for abortions that are necessary to save a woman's life.
The state Senate's Republican majority said Friday that the old law totally banning abortion is enforceable. For now, it remains unclear which law will take precedence. The state court system, likely the Arizona Supreme Court, will have to settle the issue.
At least 13 states previously passed so-called "trigger laws" which ban most abortions, following the high court's decision. These will take effect immediately or within weeks of Roe v. Wade being overturned.
Protesters shout as they join thousands marching around the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision Friday, June 24, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
These states include Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights research group.
Fox News' Lorraine Taylor, Jessica Chasmar and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The FBI had better be hot on the trail of these seditionists! The DOJ had better be cranking up the judicial system to prosecute each and every last one of them to the fullest extent of the law. Especially the ones that crossed state lines to take part in the insurrection.
The Jan 6th committee had better drop what they are doing and get directly on this. Investigating each an every last Democrat and what they said to help provoke this insurrection!
We all know none of this will happen in our current two tier justice system. We will get the normal- the protest was "mostly peaceful". A few very upset radicals in the group were responsible. The alt right put agitators in the group which caused the insurrection. No one was hurt; so there shouldn't be any charges. Republicans deserve this.
Unfortunately, I lost my faith in the FBI when the FISA debacle broke.
Why not wait to get the whole story ? You tend to seed articles in haste only to find out a day or two later the content of your seed was erroneous. Have a little restraint.
Dueling narratives of Arizona protests ended with tear gas
Did you read what you linked?
Go ahead. Say it was anti abortion protesters trying to break into the Senate. Again from your article.
So why weren't those trying to force entrance arrested?
Then you get the typical Democrat BS.
What were Republicans called that downplayed Jan 6th? Welcome the typical Democrat apologist to this insurrection; you can find them throughout the 2020 BLM and Antifa riots.
I read that btw. I went right through Drudge before coming on tonight.
I go with what I know ....you know, the radical left.
Actually you tend to go with what you don't know. You rush to seed something that certainly owns the libs only to find the "news" debunked in a day or so. But hey, you do [you deleted]
Actually here is what I do know:
"A large group of rioters was seen in downtown Portland, Oregon smashing windows and vandalizing several buildings Saturday night. The group also graffitied messages targeting the U.S. Supreme Court.
The group, made of about 100 people, were yelling and chanting as they marched down the streets and would periodically stop to destroy and graffiti objects.
"Death to SCOTUS," one black spray-painted message said.
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Rioters marched the streets of downtown Portland, smashing windows and graffitiing local businesses on June 25, 2022. (Fox News/Bradford Betz) (Fox News/Bradford Betz)
Members of the group smashed several windows of a Starbucks Coffee building and others were seen destroying a Tesla car.
The black vehicle was left with red spray paint and at least two broken windows.
"Abolish schools," another graffiti message painted on a Portland Scholastic League vehicle said. "ACAB," said another, a reference to anti-police sentiments.
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Rioters marched the streets of downtown Portland, smashing windows and graffitiing local businesses on June 25, 2022. (Fox News/Bradford Betz) (Fox News/Bradford Betz)
Another message the group spray-painted on a storage box appears to say: "Abort the court." A pedestrian who yelled out to the group asking why they were carrying out their violent acts was threatened.
Rioters marched the streets of downtown Portland, smashing windows and graffitiing local businesses on June 25, 2022. (Fox News/Bradford Betz) (Fox News/Bradford Betz)
As the night continued, a smaller group of individuals separated from the larger mob reportedly no longer wished to be a part of their violent actions.
After several hours, the group dispersed.
The group's destructive spree comes a day after a majority on the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, which recognized the right of women to get an abortion.
It was also the second night of violence in the city after protesters gathered Friday night.
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Rioters marched the streets of downtown Portland, smashing windows and graffitiing local businesses on June 25, 2022. (Fox News/Bradford Betz) (Fox News/Bradford Betz)
Rioters marched the streets of downtown Portland, smashing windows and graffitiing local businesses on June 25, 2022. (Fox News/Bradford Betz)
The incidents in Portland occurred amid many other protests - that were mainly peaceful - and acts of violence that have sprung up in cities across the country."
But hey, you do you, bro.
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I absolutely do know the left!
Oregon will continue to have access to abortions but Portlandian logic drove a crowd to smash Starbuck windows, destroy an electronic vehicle and spray-paint "Abolish schools" on a parked school van. There was no SCOTUS reaction reported.
Lawmakers 'Held Hostage' In Senate Building
I was referring to the title of your seed. Of course Portland is a hot mess, it always is. I'm talking about the absurdity of title of your seeded article. You often jump on articles with sensational titles and quickly seed them for the drama only to find out later it all blown out of proportion.
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Sounds like Vic really triggers your sensitivity .... you must really care about his opinion.
Oh I do !!
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It is pretty funny if you compare the two incidents, one on Jan 6th when officers are being beat, doors and windows broken, mobs flooding into the capital building, thousands chanting "hang Mike Pence!", all with the specific intent of stopping the certification of an election which many Republicans and Trump sycophants called a "peaceful tour of the capital" versus "most were peaceful, a handful of people were banging on the windows, and one person forcefully tried to kick in a sliding glass door" which those same right wing conservatives are now calling a "hostage situation" and an attempted insurrection. While that one guy who tried to kick in the glass door should be arrested and held accountable for his illegal actions, trying to make some equivalence between the two is truly hilarious. You would have to be a room temp IQ dumb shit or a right wing sycophant with their head shoved up Trumps ass to believe these two were somehow equivalent.
Why is there a need to do that?
Every time there is something the left doesn't like there is rioting & violence and there are seldom any consequences.
What more do we need to understand?
Anyone can see that vandalizing a school van or breaking a Starbucks window is standing up to a corrupt SCOTUS.
It has a way of saying: This could happen to you!
This has to be a record, over seven lines and unless I miscounted, exactly 100 words in your first sentence.
My advice, don’t trigger so easily.
You’ll live longer ....
Who's triggered ? They should take your advice.
Jan 6th was a failure of leadership. The Arizona Senate Building was not. Unlike Jan 6th, they were prepared and willing to deal with malcontents.
And they did and thereby controlled the situation.
Lol .... denial is not a good look for you.
no worries. I'm sure every woman in the USA that lost her right to bodily autonomy and privacy will forget about being victimized by conservative xtians on the trump SCOTUS and it will all be forgotten before the midterms.
Haha. Now every thing they come across will be insurrection! Insurrection!...Pathetic.
Ridiculous.... now women will be able to visit the state abortion facility of their choice, any time they want. If they actually have a job and it’s with many of the woke companies out there, they may be able to get an all expense paid abortion trip.
You know, enjoy yourself ..... make a vacation out of it ....
Antifa is your personal Boogerman Vic. I hope you can find the strength to overcome your fears at some point.
Why would anyone fear them?
Boogerman, the classic Sega game that has more than stood the test of time. Burp and fart your way through the assortment of levels, pick and flick to victory while watching out for the beans. A must have in any serious retro game collection.