Protesters on Wednesday repeatedly interrupted the Senate confirmation hearing for Gina Haspel, President Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.
Objectors disrupted the hearing, chanting phrases spotlighting Haspel’s involvement in the CIA’s enhanced interrogation program.
“Bloody Gina! Bloody Gina! Bloody Gina! You are a torturer!” one protester shouted as she was pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police.
Protester yelling “Bloody Gina” is removed from Haspel hearing pic.twitter.com/HZO1kZ6Quh
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 9, 2018
Less than an hour a later, Capitol Police struggled to remove another protester after he began shouting about waterboarding.
Capitol police could be heard yelling “stop resisting” during the scuffle.
Capitol Police removes another protester from Haspel hearing pic.twitter.com/H1o9ouGMG6
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 9, 2018
Prior to the hearing, Code Pink protesters were arrested for yelling “stop the torture.”
“You’re hurting me, you’re like her, you’re a torturer,” one activist screamed as she was forcibly removed from the room.
Haspel vowed during the hearing not to bring back the CIA’s torture program.
“I can offer you my personal commitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership, on my watch, the CIA will not restart a detention and interrogation program,” she said.
