A Raleigh firefighter and Marine veteran is facing charges after he was forcibly removed from a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
Cell phone video shows 44-year-old Brian McGinnis, a Green Party Senate candidate, yelling, "No one wants to fight for Israel," as police officers drag him away.
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At one point in the video, Republican Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy can be seen assisting the officers.
The speaker in the video can be heard saying, "Just a reminder to all our witnesses, Capitol police will escort any protesters out of the hearing room. We ask for calm in these hearings."
At one point, it appears McGinnis' hand gets stuck in the doorframe as he is being led out of the hearing room. A witness can be heard shouting at officers, "His hand, his hand!"
Capitol police said McGinnis and three officers were injured during the incident.
Protests are not allowed inside congressional buildings. McGinnis has been charged with assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
McGinnis, who is wearing a Marine Corps uniform in the video, identifies himself as a Marine veteran and current Raleigh firefighter on his campaign website. He has a wife and four children. The City of Raleigh confirmed McGinnis is a senior firefighter and said he was placed on administrative leave on Thursday.
On Thursday, Sheehy wrote on the social media platform X, "He was fighting back. I decided to help out and deescalate the situation."
It’s not the first time that McGinnis has spoken against war before politicians. Several times in 2024, he confronted the Raleigh City Council about the conflict in Gaza.
A GoFundMe page started for McGinnis has raised nearly $45,000. The person who started it wrote:
"Brian is not a career politician. He is not a professional activist. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served from 2000 to 2004 and a firefighter who spent years protecting his community. A man who wore the uniform of this country. A man who ran toward danger when others ran away."
According to the GoFundMe page, McGinnis's arm was injured, and he will face costs due to medical treatment, recovery and legal expenses.