Man carrying weapons and protest manifesto against Gaza war tried to enter U.S. Capitol on Election Day

Source: The Forward

A Michigan man carrying a flare gun, a torch lighter, two bottles of fuel and a manifesto angry with the government’s response to the Israel-Hamas war was arrested at the United States Capitol Visitor Center on Election Day, police said.

The man, 28-year-old Austin M. Olson of the Detroit suburb of Westland, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawful activities, and disorderly conduct. In a release, U.S. Capitol Police noted he “also smelled like he doused part of his clothing with fuel.”

Olson carried a manifesto and a letter for Congress, police said, adding, “The letter was focused on the man’s opinions on the war in the Middle East.” Officials told the New York Times that the letter “appeared to claim that he was protesting the war in Gaza and the United States’ relationship with Israel.”

The evidence suggested that Olson might have been planning to self-immolate, a form of protest that at least three other people have carried out in the U.S. in connection with the war in Gaza.


Read more: https://forward.com/fast-forward/672847/man-carrying-weapons-and-protest-manifesto-against-gaza-war-tried-to-enter-u-s-capitol-on-election-day/