Arizona lawmakers were put in a hostage situation when pro-choice protesters outside the capital building, lasting from Friday night into Saturday morning.
Police enforcement was forced to use tear gas to disperse the angry crowd following the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Protesters threatened to break the AZ Senate entryway glass,” State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-AZ) said in a tweet.
Lawmakers were instructed not to leave the building as the air circulation system in the building pulled the tear gas deployed on the demonstrators into the Senate chambers.
“Extremist demonstrators made their way to the entrance of the Senate building and began forcibly trying to make entry by breaking down windows and pushing down doors,” according to the Arizona State Senate press release.
State Senator Kelly Townsend (R-AZ) shared the event on twitter saying “We are currently there being held hostage inside the Senate building due to members of the public trying to breach our security…we smell tear gas and the children of one of the members are in the office sobbing with fear.”
Arizona has competing laws that either completely ban the procedure or limit it to 15 weeks after a woman becomes pregnant.
Following the ruling. Planned Parenthood of Arizona paused all abortions, both medical and surgical.
We are safe inside… God bless law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/nEAIyqilJt
— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) June 25, 2022
Tear gas… pic.twitter.com/hPt7k4tvVK
— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) June 25, 2022
WATCH: Chaotic scenes during pro-choice rally at the Arizona Capitol, forcing the Senate to go into recess pic.twitter.com/9xk257UsJF
— BNN Newsroom (@BNNBreaking) June 25, 2022