The Vienna Police department who responded to protestors who gathered outside of Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) Virginia home Monday evening said “people were peaceful” and left after officers explained local picketing laws, contradicting Hawley who said protesters had threatened his family and “vandalized” his door.
Protesters gathered outside Hawley’s Northern Virginia home in response to his announcement that he would be opposing President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, The Hill reported.
Juan Vazquez, spokesman for the Vienna Police Department said the protesters had violated laws on picketing in front of a house, a town ordinance on noise, and a littering code. According to the police officer, “everyone just left” after their violations were explained to them.
“There were no issues, no arrests,” said Vazquez. “We didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”
Hawley tweeted on Monday: “Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can’t travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence.”
Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can’t travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 5, 2021
The “Vigil For Democracy”protest was organized by Shutdown DC. The activist group was founded in 2019 “to respond to the Youth Climate Strikes’ Call to Action,” according to its website.
“We will work together to take appropriate measures to assess risks and keep each other safe,” their website says, “But we also recognize that forcing Trump from office is the only way to protect ourselves and the people we love from Trump’s wrath, so we will act with the urgency that the situation requires.”