What to Know
- Seventeen protesters were arrested in the hallway
- Schumer has kept a low profile since Election Day
- His office says the protesters were welcome to come inside to talk
More than two dozen protesters briefly occupied the Capitol Hill office of Sen. Chuck Schumer, objecting to close ties to Wall Street by the man poised to lead Senate Democrats, and 17 were arrested outside, officials say.
U.S. Capitol Police removed the protesters, who say they want Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont instead to lead the party, which was swept out of power last week.
Those arrested in the hallway of the Senate Office Building were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, Capitol Police said.
The protesters came from groups that included Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter. They argue Hillary Clinton's defeat was because of her coziness with big money donors, and that Schumer is from the same mold. They urged Democrats to do everything they can to block Trump's agenda.
Schumer's office says the protesters were welcome to come inside to express their viewpoints.
Schumer has laid low since Election Day, pondering the path forward for his party. He has indicated a willingness to work with Trump.
