Multiple protesters were arrested after storming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) office Monday, demanding the California congressman reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, otherwise known as PEPFAR.
Video shows protesters entering the speaker’s office in the Rayburn House Office Building — not his Capitol office — repeatedly shouting, “Pass PEPFAR now McCarthy!” and sitting down in his office as they continued their rallying cry. One of the protesters could be seen wearing a shirt reading, “HIV-Positive.” Another sign read, “end AIDS.”
Leftists activists are currently insurrecting Speaker McCarthy’s office
Given that a J6 defendant got 22 years when they weren’t even in DC on J6, I can only assume these “domestic extremists” will be receiving at least 30 years in prison
Equal justice! pic.twitter.com/tN1GXnuVin
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) September 11, 2023
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) intervened and arrested seven protesters for “unlawful entry.”
“This morning, multiple individuals were demonstrating inside a House Office Building,” U.S. Capitol Police told the New York Post. “After the demonstrators refused to cease demonstrating, USCP then arrested the 4 males and 3 females for unlawful entry.”
The protest was organized by two groups — Health GAP and Housing Works, the latter of which revealed that its CEO Charles King was among those arrested.
“NOW: 7 activists including Housing Works CEO @HWCharlesKing and @HealthGAP Executive Director Asia Russell are being arrested at @SpeakerMcCarthy’s D.C. office, calling on him to PASS PEPFAR NOW with a clean 5-year authorization,” Housing Works said, sharing an image of the arrests.
NOW: 7 activists including Housing Works CEO @HWCharlesKing and @HealthGAP Executive Director Asia Russell are being arrested at @SpeakerMcCarthy’s D.C. office, calling on him to PASS PEPFAR NOW with a clean 5-year authorization pic.twitter.com/2jrf71Owvd
— Housing Works (@housingworks) September 11, 2023
For those who are new here:
Housing Works was founded in 1990 by members of ACT UP, the international activist collective dedicated to ending AIDS.
We’re proud to use nonviolent civil disobedience, among other tactics, to demand that our government take action to end AIDS. pic.twitter.com/E01ywYdNE8
— Housing Works (@housingworks) September 11, 2023
“PEPFAR has saved millions of lives. It is criminal for some members of Congress to treat it as a political football,” King said in a statement. “AIDS isn’t over until it’s over for everyone. PEPFAR has been essential to helping people in developing countries flatten the curve of HIV transmission.”
“The United States has committed to the international goal of ending AIDS by 2030, and we cannot do that if PEPFAR is threatened,” he added.
Lawmakers have until September 30 to provide additional funds to the program, which is credited with saving an estimated 25 million lives. Some Republicans, however, are not in favor of replenishing the program over suspicions that it is being used to “indirectly support abortions,” according to the Washington Post:
As a result, lawmakers have spent months wrangling over whether Congress will reauthorize the program for five years, for one year or not at all — a decision that experts warn has both practical and symbolic consequences.
…
But the program is now dogged by accusations that its funds are helping prop up abortion providers, a charge first publicly leveled in a report from the conservative Heritage Foundation in May and amplified by Rep. Christopher H. Smith (N.J.), an antiabortion Republican who chairs a key House panel.
Health GAP also shared a video of the protest, lauding their activists who continued to shout as they were arrested.
“As activists from @housingworks and @HealthGAP are arrested in an act of civil disobedience in Speaker McCarthy’s office, a reminder that @PEPFAR exists today because of brave activist direct action targeting duty bearers. Proud of activists!” the group exclaimed.
As activists from @housingworks and @HealthGAP are arrested in an act of civil disobedience in Speaker McCarthy’s office, a reminder that @PEPFAR exists today because of brave activist direct action targeting duty bearers. Proud of activists! #ProudofPEPFAR pic.twitter.com/rvXHosjupb
— Health GAP (@HealthGAP) September 11, 2023
Notably, many across social media wondered if these activists would get the same treatment as some of the January 6 protesters, some of whom entered the U.S. Capitol and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) office.
Richard Barnett was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for entering Speaker Pelosi’s office on January 6th, 2021
Today, multiple LGBTQ activists stormed Speaker McCarthy’s office at the Capitol
Will they get the same treatment? pic.twitter.com/SpMAszVr4E
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 11, 2023
BREAKING: Far-left activists have stormed U.S. Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office.
A very sad day for Democracy… will they be thrown in prison for years on end for this?
The radical activists stormed McCarthy’s office to riot in favor of a 5 year reauthorization of PEPFAR, a… pic.twitter.com/OVB5jjEUgE
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 11, 2023
Far Left insurrectionists have stormed Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office.
I’m assuming these people will be locked up immediately, put on no fly lists, will have their houses raided and will be sentenced to years in prison, right?
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) September 11, 2023
Left-wing activists are currently protesting and occupying Speaker McCarthy’s office
Will they receive the J6 treatment? pic.twitter.com/pdkr56sEyC
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) September 11, 2023
well you all know they put AIDS in the Vax so there will be More people with aids
Looks like an insurrection to me.
Kepp your privates in your pants where they belong, and you won’t have to worry about AIDS.
What a wonderful country we have! First, we pass laws to protect the filth of those men who fellate penises that have first been inserted into the rectums of other men! Then, we allow protests to take place because those same homosexual men think it’s the governments fault that AIDS exists. Do those homosexual men ever change their behavior? Nope! They double down on their filth and demand that the rest of us accept them as “normal”, and demand that we pay for their treatment.
GO STORM DR. FAUCI’S OFFICE.
DR. FAUCI CREATED HIV IN AFRICA IN THE 1980’S.