The Smithsonina’s Air and Space museum closed after a security guard used pepper spray to disperse a crowd of protesters from entering the building, a museum spokeswoman said.
About 3 p.m. Saturday, a crowd of between 100 and 200 people with signs from a protest on the National Mall tried to push past secuirty, said spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas. The musuem does not allow the public to bring signs into the building, she said.
The crowd overwhelmed a guard and pinned the guard up against a glass case. Another security officer used pepper spray and police moved the crowd outside.
D.C. police took one woman into custody. It was unclear if the protesters were part of the Occupy D.C. group.
The building was closed at 3:16 p.m., nearly two hours before normal closing time.
