Six protesters were arrested in Nebraska on Friday as Republicans in the state voted to approve an abortion ban and ban on transgender surgeries for minors, according to police.
In a video shared on social media by Nebraska State Patrol, a woman wearing a pink shirt and rainbow skirt can be seen walking up to a police officer in the capitol as another protester appears to be getting arrested. The individual appears to try to shove the officer out of the way before the officer responds and the woman appears to throw a punch at the officer before being wrestled to the ground.
“Troopers arrested six people at the Nebraska State Capitol building today for various offenses, including this incident caught on a security camera in which a person punched a Trooper,” Nebraska State Patrol said. “No injuries to anyone involved.”
The woman accused of punching the police officer was identified as 33-year-old Sara Crawford of Lincoln. She was arrested for obstructing a police officer.
The incident took place as Republican legislatures passed a bill that bans abortion at 12 weeks and prohibits transgender surgeries, such as mastectomies for girls who identify as boys, for those 18 and younger. An additional ban on giving children puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones was removed after Republicans were unclear if they would be able to get it past a filibuster.
The law does give power to the chief medical officer of Nebraska, an appointee of the governor, the discretion to regulate puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, which have life-altering impacts on the children they are given to.
“This is not about adults, this is about kids. This is the only reason we need to protect children from experimental, irreversible medications and surgical procedures – their brains have not yet fully developed. They don’t have the capacity to understand. They don’t have the life experience to realize that what they feel one day may not be the next,” said State Sen. Kathleen Kauth, the sponsor of the bill.
The bill, known as the “Let Them Grow Act,” passed 33-15 in the state legislature and now heads to the desk of Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen who has promised to sign the legislation.
“All children deserve a chance to grow and live happy, fruitful lives. This includes pre-born boys and girls, and it includes children struggling with their gender identity. These kids deserve the opportunity to grow and explore who they are and want to be, and they can do so without making irreversible decisions that should be made when they are fully grown,” Pillen said in a statement.
Other arrests took place as Left-wing protesters showed up in force to the capitol. Two tampons which appeared to be bloody were thrown down into the legislative chamber according to Fox News.
Police said two individuals, Lucia Salinas, 24, of Omaha, and Maghie Miller-Jenkins, 36, of Lincoln, were arrested for disturbing the peace and obstructing a government procedure in conjunction with the thrown objects.
Another individual, identified as 25-year-old Mar Lee of Omaha, was arrested after “yelling repeatedly and refused law enforcement orders to leave the balcony,” police said. Two additional arrests were made, police said.
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