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Police Arrest Senate Protester

Updated: 4:15 p.m.

Capitol Police arrested a protester outside the Senate Periodical Gallery on Tuesday after he delayed the chamber’s adjournment for its weekly caucus lunches with anti-abortion proclamations.

Messiah Ward, a 66-year-old from Louisiana, began reading from a book in the Senate gallery, reciting such lines as “I love God — speaking for him to stop abortion.” Door staff escorted him away, and officers immediately put him in handcuffs.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said the man has been charged with unlawful conduct — disruption of Congress, but she did not have any further details.

Kathleen Hunter contributed to this report.

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