ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque police escorted nine protestors out of the offices of New Mexico’s U.S. senators and cited them for trespassing Monday.

Five protestors entered U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan’s office before it closed. Once the office was closing, they refused to leave, prompting officers to arrive and escort them out.

Four protestors at Sen. Martin Heinrich’s office also reportedly agreed to leave with police officers.

Police cited all nine of them with criminal trespassing notifications and cited them for criminal trespassing. They reportedly didn’t use force and didn’t handcuff anyone.

The protests happened in conjunction with a rally Monday. The Albuquerque chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace put it together to call upon elected leaders for an end to the violence.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján issued this statement following the protest and the subsequent arrests:

“Senator Luján both supports New Mexicans’ right to peacefully protest and is committed to protecting the safety of his staff and building tenants.”

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich also issued a statement:

“Israelis and Palestinians deserve peace; we are far from that right now. We need to stay committed to a two-state solution. That requires defeating Hamas, abiding by international law, defending democracy, and delivering humanitarian aid. This will be a difficult path, but difficult is not impossible.” 

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