Father of Parkland Victim Arrested While Protesting Gun Violence at Capitol Hill Hearing

On Thursday, Manuel Oliver, the father of a victim of the 2018 Parkland, Florida school shooting, was arrested on Capitol Hill while protesting gun violence. The incident occurred during a House subcommittee hearing on gun regulations, when Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) was pushing back against gun control legislation.

U.S. Capitol Police said that Oliver was arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla., a 26-year-old freshman who is also a survivor of gun violence, tweeted a video of officers detaining a man he identified as Oliver.

After the incident, Rep. Fallon said that some people “were disruptive during the hearing” and were removed. He continued, “one decided to come back in while we were still gaveled in and disrupted the hearing.”

The incident has sparked outrage among gun control advocates, who have called for Rep. Fallon to apologize for his comments. They argue that Oliver’s actions were a peaceful protest, and that comparing him to the violent Capitol rioters was inappropriate.

The incident has also highlighted the need for stricter gun control legislation. Gun control advocates have argued that the Parkland shooting was a tragedy that could have been prevented, and that stricter gun control laws are needed to ensure that similar tragedies do not occur in the future.