WASHINGTON, D.C. — Protests at the U.S. Capitol had many worried Wednesday, including one man who was worried about his son's safety.
"I'm pretty conservative, and it's just me watching TV and looking at different sizes of the crowds. As well, I am disappointed," said Sluggo Davis. His son, Doug, is a long-time conservative operative and current chief of staff to Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Davis reached out to his son hoping to hear back.
"As a daddy, I was checking to see where he was and was he fine, and he text back affirmative to all," the father said.
Good news for sure, but Texas State Senator Hugh Shine says we shouldn't be too surprised. We've had similar protests turn violent in Austin just this year.
”You know peaceful protests are First Amendment rights in America. Regardless of the nature of the protest, I think... I think most folks understand that,” said Shine, a Temple Republican.
What he sees in Washington he says does not qualify.
”That's not a peaceful protest, and that's not what the First Amendment's all about,” he said.
He hopes police can restore order.
”My message is they need to be respected and allow them to do their job and restore order as safely as possible," said Shine.
It's the same prayer Davis made as he learned more about the safety of his son.
”The building is in lockdown. He's in the Hart Building, and they're in lockdown status and everything is normal in Senator Hyde Smith's office building," he explained.
Not a lot, but enough information to help this parent sleep better tonight
"But he's not a man of a lot of words in times like this, but I was glad to get that text saying he was safe," said Davis.
