NC Senate Candidate Apprehended and Charged for Disrupting Senate Hearing With Anti-War Protest

Brian McGinnis, a Green Party candidate for Senate in North Carolina and a US Marine veteran, was forcefully removed from a congressional hearing on Wednesday after he protested, yelling, "No one wants to fight for Israel!"

The Details: Videos posted online showed McGinnis dressed in his military uniform, being wrestled away by police as he yelled in protest. Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana joined the police in forcefully apprehending McGinnis. On his way out, McGinnis clung to the door, and his hand became caught between the door and the frame. Onlookers yelled, warning officers about his hand being stuck. One onlooker said, "A US senator just broke the hand of a Marine." 

Consequences: McGinnis reportedly sustained a broken arm during the altercation, not a broken hand. Capitol Police said the three officers also sustained injuries. McGinnis now faces three counts of assaulting a police officer and three counts of resisting arrest and crowding, obstructing, and incommoding in an unlawful demonstration.

Key Quotes: Capitol Police said in a statement, "Protests are not allowed inside the Congressional Buildings. There are plenty of other spots on Capitol Grounds, outside, where demonstrations are allowed." They also said, "The suspect, who got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room, was also treated." McGinnis said, "Anybody who feels disillusioned and betrayed by our government, you're not alone. Join us in demanding accountability for this betrayal."

How The Media Covered It: Many international outlets, including The Daily Mail (Right bias), South China Morning Post (Center), and The Independent (Lean Left), noted that McGinnis was a Marine in headlines, whereas American outlets across the spectrum did not do this. Most American outlets described him as a "protestor" or "anti-war protestor." The Daily Wire (Right) used Sen. Sheehy's descriptor, "unhinged," in its headline. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) described him as a "candidate" engaged in "protest." The New York Post (Lean Right) split from the rest and framed McGinnis as the aggressor in the altercation, writing that he "allegedly injured 3 cops" and "appeared to break his own arm" in its headline. It also did not mention his comments about Israel, which outlets across the spectrum mentioned prominently in coverage.

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