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Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Capitol Police arrested 15 people conducting a sit-in protest Thursday in a Cannon House Office Building bathroom to oppose rules requiring people to use bathrooms that correspond with their sex. The protest occurred inside the women's bathroom located nearest to the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
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Johnson in November announced the ban on people using women's bathrooms based on their gender identities while in the House portions of the Capitol Building and the House Office Building.
Twenty-five activists participated in the protest, including Chelsea Manning, who is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer and was convicted of violating the U.S. Espionage Act in July 2013.
The Gender Liberation Movement organized the protest, during which participants chanted, "Speaker Johnson, Nancy Mace, our genders are no debate," and, "Democrats, grow a spine, trans lives are on the line."
Johnson in November imposed the rule after receiving a request from Representative Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who said she doesn't want to be forced to share a bathroom with a man after Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., became the first transgender person to win election to Congress.
Johnson said the rule protects women and the Capitol has unisex bathrooms available. He also said every member's office has private bathrooms.
Mace said the protest accomplished nothing.
"The trannies came, they saw and they did not conquer during their protest," Mace, R-S.C., said in a post on X.
"Unlike the Left, we don't legislate based on fantasy and woke experimentation but the common sense and sentiment of everyday Americans," Mace said in another post. "They should take notes."
Before making arrests, Capitol police warned the protesters to leave or be detained.
Police arrested 15 protesters who did not heed the warnings, held them for several hours and released them from custody.
While the protesters were inside the police station, Mace stood outside with a megaphone and recited their Miranda rights.
