By Bridget Bowman and JM Rieger

Nearly two dozen protesters from “Witness Against Torture,” a group dedicated to closing the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, were arrested in the Capitol Building Monday afternoon, after demonstrating in the Senate gallery and the Capitol Visitor Center. According to the U.S. Capitol Police, 21 protesters were arrested Monday: 11 in the Senate and 10 in the CVC. All of them were arrested for demonstrating in an area where it is unlawful to demonstrate. The protesters in the Senate gallery were arrested after causing a disturbance as Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., was speaking on the floor. The protesters began yelling, “U.S. torture, it’s official! Prosecute now!” during his speech, halting action on the floor for about a minute and a half. Freshman Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was presiding at the time.