A Secret Service agent was caught on video tackling an abortion rights protester to the ground as she approached President Joe Biden’s motorcade with a megaphone in Los Angeles, California.
The women’s rights protester walked out into the middle of the closed down street in downtown LA on Wednesday before being tacked by the agent.
The protester resisted the agent during the arrest, ripping off his hat and glasses.
“Get the f*** off me!” she said as she was handcuffed.
“An abortion ban will not stop abortions – only safe ones,” she then shouted.
Secret Service Communications Chief Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement after the arrest that “shortly after 5pm, an adult female entered a restricted roadway along a motorcade route on Chick Hearn Ct in Los Angeles”.
“As the woman approached passing vehicles, a United States Secret Service agent swiftly removed her from the roadway and placed her into custody. There was no impact to the motorcade movement or our protectees. Our investigation into this incident is ongoing,” he added.
While the Supreme Court appears ready to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision making abortion legal across the US, Mr Biden is pro-choice.
Last month, a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences,” the draft said. “And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
After the leak, Mr Biden said in a statement that “I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental, Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned”.
“We will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law,” he added.
The ninth Summit of the Americas is being hosted in Los Angeles. It was started in 1994, bringing together Western hemisphere leaders as part of the Organization of American States. The summit focuses on promoting democracy and cooperation between government leaders as well as companies working in the area.
Mr Biden also went to LA to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night. Mr Biden said a lot of Republicans are unwilling to support gun control measures because of “intimidation by the NRA”.
“Look, this is not your father’s Republican Party. This is a MAGA party,” he added, referring to the hold that former President Donald Trump and his allies have on the GOP.
“I often get asked, ‘the Republicans don’t play it square, why do you play it square?’” Mr Biden said. “If we do the same thing they do, our democracy would literally be in jeopardy. That’s not a joke!”
