Kathrine Frich
He was taking part in a public press conference while wearing his official military uniform.
The boundary between military duty and political speech is notoriously thin in the United States. Service members rarely cross it in public, and when they do, the consequences arrive quickly. A recent incident in Washington shows exactly how fast those rules are enforced.
Uniform on the steps
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Watson found himself in handcuffs at the Capitol Building.
Capitol Police arrested the active military officer right on the steps of the House of Representatives.
He was taking part in a public press conference while wearing his official military uniform.
The event was organized by the Removal Coalition, an advocacy group currently lobbying lawmakers to open impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. According to Onet News, the gathering attracted plenty of attention.
Crossing the line
Watson used his time in front of the cameras to sharply criticize the current administration. He did not hold back his political opinions.
NBC News reported that the major specifically called out American foreign policy decisions regarding Venezuela and Iran. Digging into domestic issues, he declared recent immigration measures completely unconstitutional.
Congressman Al Green also made an appearance at the controversial press event.
Green is a well-known figure in Washington politics due to his own repeated efforts to impeach the president, and his presence on the Capitol steps was actually the only thing keeping the entire protest legal.
Left all alone
Official Capitol Police rules state that public demonstrations on the House steps are strictly prohibited. There is only one exception to this policy.
Protesters are permitted to gather in that specific spot as long as a sitting member of Congress stands with them. Everything was fine until Congressman Green walked away.
Watson stayed right there.
After the politician left the area, officers immediately approached the Air Force major. They asked him to end his demonstration and clear the steps, but the military officer refused to comply.
Facing the charges
Police officers stepped in and placed him under arrest. Capitol Police later released an official statement to explain the timeline of the event.
They confirmed that the major was charged with “obstructing and disrupting the proceedings.”
The protest adds yet another layer of drama to the heavily divided political climate in Washington, and military officials have not yet announced if Watson will face a separate internal investigation.
Sources: Onet News, NBC News
