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US senator dragged out of LA news conference and handcuffed

Ali Abbas Ahmadi & Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
BBC News
Watch: Moment US Senator forcibly removed from Noem press conference

Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday and placed in handcuffs.

Noem was giving an update on immigration enforcement after nearly a week of protests in the city, when Senator Padilla interrupted and started shouting a question.

"I'm Senator Alex Padilla," he said as he was confronted by authorities. "I have questions for the secretary!"

Video of the incident shows the senator struggling with multiple Secret Service agents before being shoved out of the room and dragged away, before uniformed FBI agents placed him on the ground and arrested him.

Noem, who was speaking about immigration and the protests in LA, continued addressing reporters and law enforcement officers while the senator was ejected.

Padilla's removal prompted immediate condemnation and an angry backlash on Capitol Hill, where fellow Democratic of Congress called the arrest a "sickening disgrace" and an "affront to democracy".

LA Mayor Karen Bass called it "absolutely abhorrent and outrageous", adding that the Trump istration's "violent attacks on our city must end".

Some Republicans also condemned the incident. "It's horrible," Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters. "It is shocking at every level. It's not the America I know."

In a video posted to social media later in the day, Padilla said he "couldn't accept the rhetoric anymore" during the news conference and so tried to interject with a question.

"I'm OK," he said. "But if they can do that to me, a United States senator... what are they doing to a lot of folks out there when the cameras are not on":[]}