Dozens of left-wing veterans and military family members protesting against the war effort in Iran were arrested by U.S. Capitol Police on April 20, 2026, after they stormed the Capitol and occupied the Cannon House Office Building located in Washington, D.C. Local law enforcement officers revealed that 66 people were arrested during the protest event.
The demonstration was organized by several veteran groups including About Face, the Center on Conscience and War (CCW), Veterans For Peace, Common Defense, the Fayetteville Resistance Coalition, Military Families Speak Out and 50501 Veterans. “A group of people legally entered the Cannon House Office Building after they went through screening,” U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement delivered to the media.
“Demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional Buildings, so when they started to protest and refused to stop, we began arresting them. Approximately 66 people were arrested for D.C. Code § 22–1307 – Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding – for illegally protesting inside the Cannon House Office Building,” the statement continued.
According to a report from The Hill, the protesters took up positions in the middle of the Cannon rotunda, each one holding a red tulip in honor of Iranians killed during U.S. strikes on the Middle Eastern country. They also held banners with the slogan “End the War on Iran” written on them. The protesters also held a flag folding ceremony that they claim symbolized the 13 U.S. troops who have died in the conflict thus far.
The CCW released a statement following the arrests, stating the protesters were demanding that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) hold a meeting with them to accept the folded flag and make a pledge to stop funding the war effort, which started on February 28, 2026. One of those arrested at the demonstration was CCW Executive Director Mike Prysner, a veteran of the Iraq War.
Prysner said the war is “already deeply unpopular” and a “crisis for the Trump administration.” In a statement put out prior to his arrest, Prysner said, “The war I was sent to senselessly claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and a million Iraqis. “Like the other veterans here with me today, I have spent the last two decades wishing I could turn back the hands of time and refuse to go. Service members have that chance right now.”
He then explained that every service member has the legal right to be a conscientious objector, pointing out that “we have professional counselors who will fight to ensure you are approved and kept from deployment.” The demonstration comes as a two-week ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran is set to expire on April 22, 2026.
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President Donald Trump has rejected extending the ceasefire agreement, calling for Iran to make a deal with Washington that would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. President Trump also made new threats to the Islamic regime, stating that should they not reach a deal, “the whole country is going to get blown up.” Talks between the U.S. and Iran are currently scheduled to take place on April 22 in Islamabad, however regime officials have not made a public commitment to attend.
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