Capitol Police Assualt and Arrest a Black Minister

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. of the Hip Hop Caucus was denied entry into the OPEN AND PUBLIC hearing on the Iraq War before the House Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees.

As you can see from the video the Rev. was standing in line along with other members of the public waiting to get into the hearing in which General Petreaus was testifying regarding progress in Iraq. This testimony is particularly important because the Bush administration has been pointing to Petreaus' report and testimony as a marker regarding the future policy in Iraq, i.e., whether to continue the surge or withdraw troops.

The Rev. was denied entry, most likely due to his reputation as a peace activist. This is the Hip Hop Caucus mission statement and Rev. Yearwood's biography. Also, the Hip Hop Caucus is one of the major groups behind the planned September 15 Iraq War protests in Washington DC.

The Rev. apparently suffered a broken leg and was arrested for attempting to assault an officer.

You can also see the second part of the video capturing Yearwood receiving medical treatment here.