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Pro-abortion insurrection: lawmakers ‘held hostage’ in Arizona Senate building, police release tear gas

June 25, 2022 | | Print Article

Arizona State lawmakers were effectively held “hostage” inside the Arizona State Senate late Friday as “extremist demonstrators” that some have likened to “insurrectionists” tried to break into the building while they were busy attempting to pass legislation.

As a result, the same legislators — or at least the Republican ones — are now demanding a Jan. 6th committee-like investigation, pronto.

The “protest” began with “thousands of people in support of abortion rights” congregating outside the Arizona State Capitol around 7:00 pm, local station KTVK reported, citing a statement from the Arizona Dept. of Public Safety (DPS).

“During this time, the Senate was still in session, voting on expanding school vouchers,” according to KTVK.

Then around 8:40 pm, the so-called “protesters” began “banging on the windows of the Arizona Senate and trying to break the glass.”

Watch, courtesy of video footage shared by Arizona State Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita:

Arizona State Senate President Karen Fann reportedly responded by clearing the floor, citing a “security situation.”

Meanwhile, outspoken State Sen. Kelly Townsend posted a tweet demanding a “J24” investigation and describing children inside the building “sobbing with fear.”

“We are currently there being held hostage inside the Senate building due to members of the public trying to breach our security. We smell teargas 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 wrote.

She also slammed the few Democrats who were apparently “defending those outside.”

Look:

Notice what she wrote about teargas.

According to KTVK, the Arizona DPS promptly responded to the “insurrectionist”-like behavior outside by deploying both troopers and tear gas.

“Once the tear gas was fired, the protesters scattered,” the station reported.

Watch:

However, the altercation is far from over. Arizona State Senate Republicans are now demanding answers, as evidenced by Townsend’s tweet.

They’re also demanding that their Democrat colleagues condemn the behavior of the “violent pro-abortion protesters” outside.

“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,” Senate President Fann said in a statement once order had been restored.

“Violence is the never the answer, and we will not camouflage what was a blatant attempt at an insurrection as a ‘rally’ or ‘peaceful protest.’ We are calling on all state lawmakers to condemn these acts. There is a way to make your voice heard and violence is never the answer.”

Note her use of the word insurrection.

This “insurrection” comes amid the ongoing Jan. 6th hearings that have centered on the Jan. 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

Democrats claim the riot amounted to an insurrection because it’d occurred at an official government building and because it’d involved “protesters” trying to roll back the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Republicans argue that if the same standard were to be applied to Democrats, what happened Friday night would certainly also count as an insurrection.

After all, the left-wing “protesters” who showed up Friday night targeted a government building, and their behavior, prompted by outrage over the Supreme Court choosing to overturn Roe v. Wade, negatively affected the legislative process.

Thus, those on the right say, those who participated in Friday’s “insurrection” should be treated no differently than the Jan. 6th rioters, meaning “immediate arrests and solitary confinement”:

Vivek Saxena
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