WASHINGTON DC – An 87-year-old Gainesville veteran was one of about 60 protesters who were arrested on Friday during a demonstration in the nation’s capital, according to WCJB.
John Spitzberg was arrested outside the U.S. Capitol Building while he and other veterans protested against President Donald Trump’s military parade scheduled for Saturday.
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According to U.S. Capitol Police, the group pushed down a bike rack, crossed the police line, and moved toward the Rotunda steps. Officers blocked them and began making arrests.
According to CNN, the group, made up of veterans and military family members, planned a sit-in on the Capitol steps to protest President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard and active-duty Marines in Los Angeles.
WCJB said video of the incident shows officers arresting an elderly veteran using a walker with wheels and a chair that appears to be Spitzberg.
One elderly veteran was originally returned to the group and then pushed past the fence back to the Capitol plaza. Officers offered to return him again but he said he wanted to be with the rest of the protesters. They cuffed him and loaded into the vans. pic.twitter.com/aObDowZc8z
— Carolina Lumetta (@CarolinaLumetta) June 13, 2025
Police said all 60 individuals will be charged with unlawful demonstration and crossing a police line. Some will also face additional charges of assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
The protest was organized by two advocacy groups – About Face: Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace. The brief sit-in followed a rally and press conference, according to the organizers’ news release.
“We want a future where we invest in care for veterans, in health care, and in education, not where we spend $50 million on a parade,” said Brittany Ramos DeBarros, an Army combat veteran and organizing director of About Face: Veterans Against the War, in a statement.
