Oregon state Republican lawmaker, Rep. Mike Nearman held the doors to the State Capitol building open so protesters could enter and try to disrupt a coronavirus special session, on December 21.
In a video obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, Rep. Nearman was seen opening an interior door then leaving the building through an external door, stepping around a man holding a flagpole and kept on walking. The man held the door open then rushed to prevent the interior door from closing. He signals for the other protesters to enter.
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State troopers and Salem police officers struggled to hold the protesters at the open doorway for about eight minutes before they sprayed officers with “some kind of chemical agent,” causing them to retreat from the doorway, thus allowing the protesters to enter the building.
The session continued without interruption, though lawmakers say they heard chanting, according to CNN.
At least four people were arrested on charges related to the incident, including at least two who gained entrance to the Capitol allegedly with Nearman’s help.
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Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek (D) said ,”Representative Nearman’s actions were completely unacceptable. It’s serious, and his behavior was reckless and dangerous.”
“The resulting entry was especially terrorizing for our members and staff of color because the rhetoric of the protesters was out of the Trump playbook and is aligned with white supremacy,” she added.
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Nearman will face disciplinary action in the house depending on what the state police investigation finds.