The story behind the arrest of 87-year-old veteran John Spitzberg at the Capitol June 20, 20255:01 AM ET
In the video, one officer wheels away John Spitzberg's rollator walker, while the other uses zip ties to bind his hands behind his back.
The 87-year-old veteran is unsteady on his feet — the result of several disabilities he suffers — as the crowd applauds, cheers and chants, "We won't back down, we won't retreat!"
Soon, the cheering turns to jeering and booing and chants of "Shame!" against the officers.
The scene has been shared widely across social platforms and viewed millions of times, becoming a crystalizing moment for those protesting the Trump administration. Now back at a care home in Florida, Spitzberg told NPR he's ready for what's next.
"I plan to be as active as I physically can be at my point in life and whatever the Veterans for Peace and the younger people who are activists, whatever they need, I'll do the best I can," he said.
Anti-war groups Veterans for Peace and About Face: Veterans Against the War organized last Friday's protest against America's peacetime military parade. It was held to mark the Army's 250th anniversary, but also coincided with President Trump's 79th birthday. The parade has drawn heavy criticism from protesters and politicians who saw it as a waste of resources and politicization of the U.S. Armed Forces.
A weekend of protest
Spitzberg was among the dozens of veterans who were arrested at the Capitol last Friday. The arrests came just half a day before millions of people flooded American streets for No Kings protests, meant to stand in contrast to the military parade being held the same day.
"I think the parade was a colossal slap in the face of the American people," said Spitzberg, an Army and Air Force veteran. "And the president of the United States apparently sees himself as more than the people's president. He sees himself as a king or, I don't even know, an emperor."
Capitol Police said officers arrested about 60 people last Friday who illegally crossed a police line while running toward the Rotunda steps. All are facing charges, including unlawful demonstration and crossing a police line.
Spitzberg said he crossed the barrier because he saw officers manhandling his fellow protesting veterans.
"I just couldn't stand there behind those barricades while my fellow veterans were being pummeled," he said.
"My goal was to go and help the veterans so they wouldn't be hurt," he added. He said police told him he would be arrested if he didn't go back behind the line. But he kept walking and police held to their word.
Capitol Police, whose officers were at the center of defending the Capitol against Jan. 6 rioters, said the heightened political threat environment means that the officers were on high alert.
"These demonstrators illegally crossed a police line and were running towards the direction of the U.S. Capitol building. Our officers will enforce the law and will not let anyone disrupt the important work of the Congress," Capitol Police said in a statement.
What's next
Spitzberg said he spent about 12 hours being transferred between holding facilities before his release. He had an emotional homecoming Wednesday at his care facility in Gainesville, Fla., where some residents had feared for his well-being.
"All they could do was hold me and cry. And it was very sad for me because I love them," he said. ChristopherBlackwell
I see Trump's protecting the Capitol from protests now
law by crossing a police line gives fuel to the fire against his cause. After Jan. 6th, 2021, who can blame Capitol Police for arresting ANYONE who crossed police lines running towards the Capitol ?
If he'd videoed police beating on veterans rather than running towards them and breaking the law too, when he could do basically nothing to help, he could have shared the videos with news organizations and posted them on social media to show all Americans what happened there.
IMHO, it would have been far wiser for all of the Veteran groups to protest on the other side of the police line with signs declaring who they were and why they opposed the parade instead of crossing a police line. Capitol police, by and large, have NO love lost for dt or his enablers, particularly after dt pardoned all of those violent offenders who stormed the Capitol, injuring hundreds of police and causing the deaths of some in their ranks, some by suicide, one from injuries sustained that day.
However, crossing that line naturally triggered the police to react quickly to STOP another attack on the Capitol or the parade.
Re: Well, he's certainly brave, but also foolish. Getting himself arrested for actually breaking the
sia, yet most past demonstrations have required the risk of being arrested to be affective, be it civil rights, or antiwar. To demonstrate at all can always cause arrest whether law is broken or not, especially in present time.ChristopherBlackwell
I just think that it wasn't necessary or beneficial in this particular case, especially AT the Capitol.
Haven't you seen all of the bad publicity that the protests got because doing it AT the Capitol and crossing police lines THERE? It simply gives ammo for the opposition to label the protests as BEING THE SAME as the January 6th attack, when they are not even remotely similar.
No one was trying to STOP the parade (as J6 was intended to stop Biden's win), to injure anyone, or to threaten the lives of police or legislators. They were simply making a statement in opposition to dt's "king-like" crap. Thus, there was NO NEED to get themselves arrested or give the opposition ammo to use against them.
When there IS a need, I'm FINE with protesters getting themselves arrested for speaking out loudly or blocking roads, etc.
Perception IS everything and their protest there, done THAT way, harmed their cause.
on June 22, 2025, 5:02 pm
