Police said Tuesday that a group of protesters that gathered outside the home of Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley were “peaceful” after the Senator said that the crowd threatened his family.
Around 7:45 PM Monday night, officers responded to a report that there were “people protesting in front of” Hawley’s Virginia home, the Associated Press reported. Master Police Officer Juan Vazquez, a spokesman for the Town of Vienna Police Department, told the outlet that officers found that the “people were peaceful” when they arrived.
Vazquez said that “everyone just left” after police explained that they were violating several laws, according to the report. The protesters were violating a Virginia law that prohibits picketing in front of a house, a town ordinance about making noise in front of houses, and littering laws, he said. (RELATED: Josh Hawley Slams Walmart For Tweet Calling Him A ‘Sore Loser’)
“There were no issues, no arrests,” Vazquez told the Associated Press. “We didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”
“The Hawley’s are grateful for the support of law enforcement. The left-wing activists refused to disperse until the police showed up,” a spokesperson for Senator Hawley told the Daily Caller. “In fact, when Erin, Josh’s wife, asked them to leave, they instead screamed threats through blow horns at Erin, a newborn baby and their neighbors, and then they followed up by stepping onto their porch to pound on the front door and peer inside the house at Erin.”
Hawley said on Twitter Monday that “Antifa scumbags” had threatened his family and vandalized property.
“Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can’t travel,” the Senator said. “They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence.”
Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can’t travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 5, 2021
ShutDownDC, the group that organized the protest, described the demonstration as an “hour long vigil to demand that [Hawley] drop his baseless contestation of the 2020 presidential election results.” The group said that they delivered a copy of the Constitution to Hawley’s doorstep, chanted, and read messages from voters, according to Washington Post reporter Mike DeBonis. (RELATED: ‘Coup Attempt’: Klobuchar Goes After Hawley For Objection To Electoral College Certification Process On January 6)
“Now ‘vigil’ means screaming threats through bullhorns, vandalizing property, pounding on the doors of homes and terrorizing innocent people and children,” Hawley said in response to ShutDownDC’s description of events.
“@washingtonpost this morning printing outright lies from the Antifa group who now describe themselves as sweet angels,” Hawley wrote Tuesday morning on Twitter. “BS. You screamed through bullhorns, shouted down my wife when she asked you to leave, vandalized property, pounded on our door, and terrorized neighbors.”
“And didn’t have the guts to do it in daylight, but only under cover of darkness so you could hide,” the Senator added. “You’re scum. And we won’t be intimidated.”