A Secret Service agent tackled a protester who ran out into the road as President Joe Biden’s motorcade was passing through downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, video of the incident showed.
In the video posted on Twitter by FOX 11 reporter Hailey Winslow, a woman is seen shouting through a megaphone and walking directly into the street as Biden’s motorcade drives by. After a moment, what appears to be a Secret Service agent charges at her and tackles her to the ground.
The woman fights with the agent on the ground, ripping his hat off and putting her hand on his face. The agent then slaps the woman as a bystander carrying a skateboard attempts to intervene. Several more agents surround the protester and agent on the ground, who appears to repeatedly yell, “Secret Service, stop resisting.”
As the protester is cuffed, she yells, “Get the f—k off me! Get the f—k off me! An abortion ban will not stop abortion!”
Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, said in a statement that the incident is under investigation.
“Shortly after 5 p.m., an adult female entered a restricted roadway along a motorcade route on Chick Hearn Ct in Los Angeles,” his statement read, according to the Washington Times. “As the woman approached passing vehicles, a United States Secret Service agent swiftly removed her from the roadway and placed her into custody. There was no impact to the motorcade movement or our protectees. Our investigation into this incident is ongoing.”
President Biden was in Los Angeles to attend the Summit of the Americas, where he announced a “historic new agreement” dubbed the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity – an effort designed to “drive our hemisphere’s economy recovery and growth, and deliver for our working people.”
“Together with partners, we deepen our economic cooperation, focusing on the largest drivers of middle-out growth, and shaping new tools for the challenges facing us today and, in the decades, to come,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden also made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he accused Republicans of putting “our democracy…in jeopardy.”
“I also get asked, ‘Look, the Republicans don’t play it square, why do you play it square?’” Biden said. “Well, guess what, if we do the same thing they do, our democracy would literally be in jeopardy and that is not a joke.”
The president also suggested that there will be a “mini revolution” if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
“I don’t think the country will stand for it,” Biden said. “It’s clear that if in fact the decision comes down the way it does and these states impose the limitations they’re talking about, it’s gonna cause a mini revolution and they’re going to vote a lot of these folks out of office.”
