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Legislative violence is
violence Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
between members of a
legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...
, often physically, inside the legislature and triggered by divisive issues and tight votes. Such clashes have occurred in many countries, and notable incidents still happen.


Overview

Although the sight of brawling politicians is incongruous with a legislature's stately image, its occupants, like in any other
workplace A workplace is a location where someone works, for their employer or themselves, a place of employment. Such a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. For industrialized societies, the workplace is one of the ...
, are still prone to stress and
anger Anger, also known as wrath ( ; ) or rage (emotion), rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong, uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt, or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experie ...
. The contentious nature of
politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
, regardless of their location, and the high stakes involved often add to the simmering tensions."When politicians attack..."
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
, 23 March 2004.
US Congressman Galusha A. Grow, no stranger to legislative violence, described the precursors thus:


Causes

Some studies have analysed the causes of and repercussions of legislative violence. Co-author of "Making Punches Count: The Individual Logic of Legislative Brawls" surmised that when individual politicians engage in violence on the legislative floor, it is a calculated strategy. " oliticians aretrying to send a message about themselves, who they are and what kind of person they are, to a specific target audience that can help them with their political career," co-author of the book Nathan F. Batto said.


Afghanistan


5 July 2011

Nazifa Zaki and Hamida Ahmadzai fought in the chamber of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
over rocket attacks from Pakistan.


19 May 2019

MPs brawled over the election of a new speaker.


Albania

On 20 November 2023, members of the opposition
Democratic Party of Albania The Democratic Party of Albania (, PDSH), also known as the Democratic Party (, PD), is a Conservatism, conservative political party in Albania. It has been the largest opposition party in the country since 2013 and has dominated the Albanian ...
interrupted a
parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
vote on the country's budget by lighting flares and piling chairs in the middle of the session hall as Prime Minister
Edi Rama Edi Rama (born Edvin Kristaq Rama; 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, artist and writer who has been serving as the 33rd and incumbent prime minister of Albania since 2013 and chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania since 2005. He was M ...
took his seat, causing a small fire that was immediately put out. On 30 September 2024, Democratic Party MPs shoved microphones, hurled objects at the seats of the speaker and ministers and burned chairs in protest over the conviction of lawmaker Ervin Salianji for slander.


Algeria

A tax bill raising rates on
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
,
diesel fuel Diesel fuel, also called diesel oil, heavy oil (historically) or simply diesel, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a re ...
, and 3G cellular service sparked brawls in
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
on 30 November 2015.


Ancient Rome


March 15, 44 BC

General and
dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
was famously
assassinated Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
by a group of senators on the
Ides of March The Ides of March (; , Medieval Latin: ) is the day on the Roman calendar marked as the , roughly the midpoint of a month, of Martius, corresponding to 15 March on the Gregorian calendar. It was marked by several major religious observances. ...
, 44 BC, during a meeting of the
Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...
. The senators, led by Cassius and
Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC) was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, which was reta ...
and calling themselves
Liberatores Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, was assassinated on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC by a group of senators during a Senate session at the Curia of Pompey, located within the Theatre of Pompey in Rome. The conspirators, numbering ...
, had conspired in secret to kill Caesar and considered various ways to do so. Ultimately, they decided to kill him during a meeting of the senate since only senators would be allowed in the meeting, and Caesar would be alone. The senators drafted a fake petition requesting that Caesar hand over power to the Senate; Caesar called a meeting of the Senate to read it. When Caesar met the senators at the Theatre of Pompey, they stabbed him repeatedly with daggers concealed under their
toga The toga (, ), a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a roughly semicircular cloth, between in length, draped over the shoulders and around the body. It was usually woven from white wool, and was worn over a tunic. In Roman historical tra ...
s, killing him. Caesar's assassination led to a
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
for control of the
republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
, ending ultimately with the rise of
Caesar Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...
and the founding of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
.


Armenia

Legislative violence has happened in Armenia.


Austria

During the era of the Dual Monarchy, the House of Deputies (') of the Imperial Council (') of the
Cisleithania Cisleithania, officially The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council (), was the northern and western part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in the Compromise of 1867—as distinguished from ''Transleithania'' (i.e., ...
n (i.e. Austrian) half of the Empire endured frequent outbursts of violence.
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
, writing in ''
Harper's ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...
'' in 1898, observed:


Australia

On 13 February 2019, Brian Burston and his advisor James Ashby clashed in Parliament House after Burston and
One Nation Party Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON), also known as One Nation (ON) or One Nation Party (ONP), is a right-wing populist political party in Australia. It is led by Pauline Hanson. One Nation was founded in 1997 by Hanson and her advisors ...
leader
Pauline Hanson Pauline Lee Hanson (''née'' Seccombe, formerly Zagorski; born 27 May 1954) is an Australian politician who is the founder and leader of One Nation, a right-wing populist political party. Hanson has represented Queensland in the Australian S ...
accused each other of
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
.


Bahamas

In 1965, the leader of the opposition threw the ceremonial mace in a protest for electoral reform, which became known as "Black Tuesday". In 2024, deputy leader of the opposition
Shanendon Cartwright Shanendon Eugene Cartwright is a Bahamian politician from the opposition Free National Movement. He is the member of parliament for St. Barnabas (Bahamas Parliament constituency), St. Barnabas. He was first elected in the 2017 Bahamian general e ...
threw the ceremonial mace from a window in protest over Speaker Patricia Deveaux's refusal to allow Leader of the Opposition Michael Pintard in a session concerning drug trafficking. The ensuing scuffle left the deputy speaker hospitalised while a police officer was injured while Cartwright was being restrained.


Bolivia


27 October 2007

In 2007, a fight broke out in the lower house of the
Plurinational Legislative Assembly The Plurinational Legislative Assembly () is the national legislature of Bolivia, placed in La Paz, the country's seat of government. The assembly is bicameral, consisting of a lower house (the Chamber of Deputies or ) and an upper house (the ...
, the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
. The fight erupted during a debate over whether or not to try four judges on corruption charges.


Bosnia and Herzegovina


31 July 2019

Following an intense debate in the Council of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton in
Goražde Goražde ( sr-cyrl, Горажде, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Drina rive ...
, councilor Daliborka Milović, who was also the president of the Liberal Party, had thrown a plastic water bottle, hitting Edita Velić, a member of the Democratic Front, in the process, who was at the time, the chairman of the council, after a disagreement on drafting a new law. Following the event, Milović was promptly escorted out of the building by municipal police.


23 December 2019

Draško Stanivuković Draško Stanivuković (; born 21 May 1993) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb politician serving as mayor of Banja Luka since December 2020. He is the current president of the Party of Democratic Progress. From 2018 to 2020, Stan ...
, a prominent member of the
PDP PDP may refer to: Computing and technology * Packet Data Protocol in wireless GPRS/HSDPA networks * Parallel distributed processing in Connectionism#Parallel distributed processing, connectionism * Plasma display panel * Policy Decision Point in t ...
, was initially scolded by
Milorad Dodik Milorad Dodik ( sr-Cyrl, Милорад Додик, ; born 12 March 1959) is a Bosnian Serb politician currently serving as the 8th president of Republika Srpska since 2022, a position he previously held from 2010 to 2018. He also served as ...
's right-wing SNSD-dominated club for various acts aimed at the government of
Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...
. As an MP, Stanivuković became famous for flamboyant presentations of his ideas, which were deemed provocative. On that day, Stanivuković was physically assaulted by Dragan Lukač, the Interior Minister of Republika Srpska who was also an SNSD member. Moments before the confrontation, Lukač warned Stanivuković to cease his provocations aimed at the government, warning him that he would "end up on the floor, just like those little flags he brought along." Following his statement, Lukač had asked Stanivuković, who had by now been walking around the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
hall carrying hand-held NATO flags and distributing them to those present, to approach him, calling him an "ape" in the process. Stanivuković did so, and following a brief exchange of words, Lukač hit him on the head with his right fist. The event was broadcast live on the public broadcaster RTRS. This happened in the wake of events where the Bosnian three-men presidency had unanimously agreed to sign the Reform Program, which was widely speculated to be the undisclosed SMO agreement, which would allow Bosnia and Herzegovina to pursue full membership in NATO. Following the event, Lukač apologized to the public but not Stanivuković.


Brazil

On 4 December 1963, the father of future president Fernando Collor and senator for
Alagoas Alagoas () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is ...
, Arnon de Melo, fired three shots with a .38 caliber revolver against Silvestre Péricles, Senator for Alagoas and Melo's political opponent, who had been threatening him with death. Pericles escaped from the shots, but two bullets hit the senator for
Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
,
José Kairala Kairala José Kairala (1 February 1924 – 4 December 1963) was a Brazilian politician who briefly served as a senator from the state of Acre (state), Acre in 1963. He served as a substitute for senator José Guiomard. He was killed at his last s ...
, hitting his abdomen. Kairala was quickly taken to a hospital in
Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
, but later died. Arnon de Melo remained in prison until July 1964, when he was acquitted by the Jury Court of Brasília, on the grounds that he had acted in
self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...
.


Canada


4 February 1997

Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
MP Darrel Stinson from
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
challenged Liberal MP John Cannis from
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, who had just moments prior heckled him and called him "racist" and hurled additional insults at him. He then proceeded to cross the floor but was intervened by fellow caucus Members and the Speaker called for Order.


5 December 2012

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...
House Leader
Nathan Cullen Nathan Paul Cullen (born July 13, 1972) is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) representing the riding of Stikine (provincial electoral district), Stikine from 2020 to 2024 as a memb ...
attempted to delay the passing of a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
budget bill, leading to a threatening confrontation between Conservative Government House Leader Peter Van Loan and NDP leader
Tom Mulcair Thomas Joseph Mulcair (born October 24, 1954) is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2012 to 2017 and Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada), leader of the Official Oppos ...
, described in the media as a "near-brawl".


18 May 2016

Before a vote in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
,
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...
"manhandled" Conservative Party Opposition
Whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
Gord Brown and inadvertently elbowed NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau. The incident went on to be known as " Elbowgate" and officially known in the House of Commons as "the matter of the physical molestation of the Member from
Berthier—Maskinongé Berthier—Maskinongé (; formerly known as Berthier and Berthier—Maskinongé—Lanaudière) is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1925 to 1953, from 1968 to 1988, ...
".


Czech Republic


21 May 2006

Health Minister
David Rath David Rath (born 25 December 1965) is a Czech physician, former politician who served as Minister of Health from 2005 to 2006, and convicted criminal. He was a member of the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) until 16 May 2012 when he resign ...
and his right-wing rival, Miroslav Macek, fought during a meeting of disgruntled dentists in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
.


21 January 2021

Member of
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, leader of the far-right Unified – Alternative for Patriots, attacked Deputy Speaker Tomáš Hanzel during the debate on the extension of the state of emergency due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. After being reprimanded by Hanzel for not speaking on the topic, Volný started to insult him, and when his microphone was turned off, he approached and confronted the Deputy Speaker, trying to use his microphone instead. Other deputies came to help Hanzel; the security guard eventually took away Volný.


Egypt


28 February 2016

Kamal Ahmed threw a shoe at Tawfik Okasha during a session of
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for hosting the Israeli ambassador
Haim Koren Haim Koren (; born 6 June 1953) is an Israeli diplomat. He is a former director of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel), Israel's Foreign Ministry Political Planning Division and the former Israeli ambassador to Egypt and South Sudan. Diplomatic c ...
.


14 June 2017

While geographer Sayed Al-Husseny was trying to explain that the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
is a part of
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, MP Ahmed Tantawi went to the platform and broke Husseny's microphone.


Estonia

On 5 February 1929, during a session of the
Riigikogu The Riigikogu (, from Estonian ''riigi-'', "of the state", and ''kogu'', "assembly") is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the prime minister and chi ...
, the Farmers' Assemblies accused Minister of Education and Welfare Leopold Johanson of Socialist Workers' Party of accepting bribes. Artur Tupits of the Farmers' Assemblies then slapped Johanson in the face twice until the two were separated. Disturbances continued on the next day. Tupits was then arrested for two months. His name inspired a new expression for a brawl in
Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...
(''tupitsat tegema'', similar to the earlier expression ''tuupi tegema'').


European Parliament

In 1988, when
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
addressed the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, hard-line
Ulster loyalist Ulster loyalism is a strand of Unionism in Ireland, Ulster unionism associated with working class Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland. Like other unionists, loyalists support the continued existence of Northern Ireland (and formerly all of I ...
Ian Paisley Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, (6 April 1926 – 12 September 2014) was a loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and ...
, then an MEP, denounced him as the
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
and was subjected to booing by fellow MEPs who also threw objects at him;
Otto von Habsburg Otto von Habsburg (, ; 20 November 1912 4 July 2011) was the last crown prince of Austria-Hungary from 1916 until the dissolution of the empire in November 1918. In 1922, he became the pretender to the former thrones, head of the House of Habs ...
was among those who helped physically eject Paisley from the room.
Mike Hookem Michael Hookem (born 9 October 1953) is a British politician who served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency), Yorkshire and the Humber from 2014 European Parliament election ...
punched
Steven Woolfe Steven Marcus Woolfe (born 6 October 1967) is a British barrister, writer, commentator and former politician. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Migration & Economic Prosperity, a research think tank studying population and immigra ...
in the face at a
UK Independence Party The UK Independence Party (UKIP, ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of parliament (both through defect ...
conference in 2016.


Georgia

On 26 December 2014, a brawl broke out following an argument over the composition of Georgian delegations in international institutions. On 15 April 2024, during a debate over the controversial "foreign agents" bill, the leader of the ruling
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
party's parliamentary faction, Mamuka Mdinaradze, was punched in the face while speaking at the dispatch box by opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili.


Abkhazia

On 19 December 2024, lawmaker Adgur Kharazia fatally shot his colleague Vakhtang Golandzia and injured another MP, Kan Kvarchia, inside the People's Assembly of
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
before escaping from the scene.


Germany

On 10 March 1950, after having been expelled from the
Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the lower house of the Germany, German Federalism in Germany, federal parliament. It is the only constitutional body of the federation directly elected by the German people. The Bundestag wa ...
for an anti-Semitic speech calling the resistance against Nazi Germany as traitors and general unruly behavior, did not leave the building.
Herbert Wehner Richard Herbert Wehner (11 July 1906 – 19 January 1990) was a German politician. A former member of the Communist Party of Germany, Communist Party, he joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democrats (SPD) after World War II. H ...
, Rudolf-Ernst Heiland and some other members of the SPD found him in a break room giving interviews and repeating what he was banned for, leading to them attacking him. While fleeing, Hedler fell through a glass door and down the stairs and got a laceration on the head. Hedler was a member of the far-right German Party and was a member of the
NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...
during the
Nazi era Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
. Wehner, Heiland and the other SPD Members were expelled from the Bundestag for ten days as punishment.


Greece

On 16 May 2017, a fight erupted between
Nikos Dendias Nikolaos "Nikos" Dendias (; born 7 October 1959) is a Greek lawyer and politician of the conservative New Democracy (Greece), New Democracy party who has been serving as Minister for National Defence (Greece), Minister for National Defence in th ...
and Ilias Kasidiaris in the
Hellenic Parliament The Parliament of the Hellenes (), commonly known as the Hellenic Parliament (), is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The parliament is the supreme demo ...
. On 24 April 2024, Konstantinos Floros attacked Vassilis Grammenos during the discussion on the lifting of immunity of Greek Solution leader Kyriakos Velopoulos following a defamation lawsuit filed by Floros’ father.


Hong Kong

In 2014, pan-democrat lawmaker Wong Yuk-man threw a glass at Chief Executive
CY Leung Leung Chun-ying ( zh, t=梁振英; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Confe ...
before a
Hong Kong Legislative Council The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, colloquially known as LegCo, is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under China's " one country, two systems" constitutional arrangement, and is the pow ...
meeting and was charged with common assault. In another incident, two lawmakers who entered the Legislative Council's chamber without authorization caused a scuffle, and then the lawmakers tried to read out their oath of office.


India


Tamil Nadu

In January 1988, a riot broke out in the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members, all of whom are democratically elected using the first-past-the-post system. The presiding office ...
over a vote of majority for V. N. Janaki, who was serving as
Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
following the death in December 1987 of her husband M. G. Ramachandran. The
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK, also abbreviated as ADMK), also shortened to Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is an Indian Regionalism (politics), regional political party with great influence in the Federated state, sta ...
(ADMK) had split, with most MLAs supporting her and some supporting
Jayalalithaa Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016), popularly known as Amma, was an Indian actress, politician, and philanthropist who served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. She ...
's bid to become Chief Minister instead. The
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
with its 60 MLAs was able to play "kingmaker". While the Congress-led
Central Government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or deleg ...
in New Delhi ordered them to vote against Janaki, some Congress MLAs chose to resign instead, allowing the Janaki government to survive the majority vote. A riot ensued in the legislature, with members clubbing each other with microphone stands and footwear, which was finally ended by riot police who stormed the legislature and beat up everybody with their batons. The Janaki faction was, however, dismissed by the Central Government under Article 356 of the
Indian Constitution The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and ...
, having survived just 24 days in office. The state was placed under President's rule for a year, until the next scheduled state assembly elections in January 1989. On 25 March 1989, a
riot A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
broke out in the state legislative assembly between members of the ruling
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...
party and the now-unified opposition ADMK over the reading of the state budget. In the
melee A melee ( or ) is a confused hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand fight among several people. The English term ''melee'' originated circa 1648 from the French word ' (), derived from the Old French ''mesler'', from which '':wikt:medley, medley'' and ...
, Durai Murugan tried to disrobe J. Jayalalithaa, Muthuvel Karunanidhi had his sunglasses broken, and angry rioters tore up the budget.


Uttar Pradesh

On 21 October 1997, a riot broke out in the
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, also known as Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, is the lower house of Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Indian state Uttar Pradesh. There are 403 seats in the house. Member of the Legislative Assembl ...
with MLAs picking up microphones, chairs, and other items to throw at each other. Security pulled off the tops of desks as a shield for the Speaker.


Maharashtra

Abu Azmi, a member of the Maharashtra Legislature was assaulted on 10 November 2009 in the state assembly. The incident occurred after Azmi, who could not speak
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
, took the oath in
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
instead. This was objected to by the right-wing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which wanted Marathi to be the official language in the state. Four MNS members were suspended for four years for disrupting the legislature's proceedings.


Iran

Scuffles broke out in the
Islamic Consultative Assembly The Islamic Consultative Assembly (), also called the Iranian Parliament, the Iranian Majles (Arabicised spelling Majlis) or ICA, is the unicameral national legislative body of Iran. The parliament currently consists of 290 representatives, an i ...
after the country's economic and finance minister Masoud Karbasian was sacked in 2018.


Iraq

There has been
violence Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
in the
Council of Representatives of Iraq The Council of Representatives is the ''de facto'' unicameral legislature of Iraq. According to the Constitution of Iraq, it is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of the country. As of 2020, it comprises 329 seats and meets in Baghdad ...
. Kurdish MPs brawled in the
Kurdistan Region Parliament The Kurdistan Regional Parliament, also known as Kurdistan Parliament – Iraq (; ), or simply Perleman, is the parliament of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. It is made up of representatives from the various parties, lists or slates that are elec ...
over president
Masoud Barzani Masoud Barzani (; born 16 August 1946) is a Kurdish politician who has been leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, and was President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq from 2005 to 2017. Early life and career Barzani was bo ...
's term.


Israel


Knesset

In 1992, in the aftermath of the
First Intifada The First Intifada (), also known as the First Palestinian Intifada, was a sustained series of Nonviolent resistance, non-violent protests, acts of civil disobedience, Riot, riots, and Terrorism, terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians ...
,
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
MKs fought in the
Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...
over child support payments. In 2010, a fight broke out after Balad MK Haneen Zoabi had called
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
soldiers "murderers". Far-right MKs began shouting for her to be deported to the
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
-controlled
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
, and Mickey Levy ordered the Knesset's ushers to forcibly remove her from the floor. She returned after claiming to chair Hamad Amar that she wanted to apologize, only to be removed again and become the target of more violence after condemning the
blockade of the Gaza Strip The restrictions on movement and goods in Gaza imposed by Israel date to the early 1990s. After Hamas took over in 2007, Israel significantly intensified existing movement restrictions and imposed a complete blockade on the movement of good ...
and calling for another
Gaza flotilla raid Ships of Gaza flotilla raid, Six civilian ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla were raided by Israel on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine of the flotilla passengers were killed during the raid, with thirty woun ...
. Numerous MKs were removed from the plenum or faced discipline from the Knesset Ethics Committee for the incident. On behalf of the
Likud Likud (, ), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement (), is a major Right-wing politics, right-wing, political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing par ...
government, Ofir Akunis condemned the "insane incitement" but called Zoabi a "traitor", "terrorist", and "neo-fascist" for her speech. The Likud government tried to disqualify Zoabi for reelection by the
Central Elections Committee The Israeli Central Elections Committee (, ''Va'adet HaBehirot HaMerkazit'') is the body charged under the Knesset Elections Law of 1969 to carry out the elections for the upcoming Knesset. The committee is composed of Knesset members (and deleg ...
for the incident, but was prevented by the
Supreme Court of Israel The Supreme Court of Israel (, Hebrew acronym Bagatz; ) is the Supreme court, highest court in Israel. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and in some cases original jurisdiction. The Supreme Court consists of 15 jud ...
. In 2012,
Yisrael Beiteinu Yisrael Beiteinu (, ) is a conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may ...
MK Anastassia Michaeli threw water at HaAvoda MK Raleb Majadele. In 2017,
Ksenia Svetlova Ksenia Svetlova (, ; born 28 July 1977) is an Israeli politician, journalist, associate professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and policy fellow at the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. She served as a member of the Knes ...
was caught writing in lipstick on Leah Fadida's window. That same year, Michal Biran and Haneen Zoabi called Oren Hazan "a pimp". In 2019, Oren Hazan and Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin had a shouting match in the Knesset parking lot.


Local legislatures

Fights broke out in the
Givatayim Givatayim () is a city in Israel east of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Givatayim was established in 1922 by pioneers of the Second Aliyah. In it had a population of . The name of the city comes from the "two hills" on w ...
City Hall in 2003 and 2010.


Italy

A brawl broke out in the
Italian Parliament The Italian Parliament () is the national parliament of the Italy, Italian Republic. It is the representative body of Italian citizens and is the successor to the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia (1848–1861), the Parliament of the Kingd ...
in 2010 over an issue of funding for new youth social centres. Another brawl broke out in the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
during a vote on proposals to strengthen regional autonomy in 2024.


Japan

A brawl broke out in the
National Diet , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
on 17 September 2015 after the
House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...
approved legislation for the controversial security bills that would allow the country to send
Japan Self-Defense Forces The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...
troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War II. Members of the opposition
Democratic Party of Japan The was a Centrism, centristThe Democratic Party of Japan was widely described as centrist: * * * * * * * to Centre-left politics, centre-left, Liberalism, liberal or Social liberalism, social-liberal List of political parties in Japan, ...
tried to grab the microphone and stop Masahisa Sato, acting chairman of the upper house special committee, from carrying out the vote.


Jordan

There has been violence during sessions of
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, including one instance where a member was removed from the building after he fired an
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
from the hall at a fellow MP.


Kenya

Lawmakers came to blows in the
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
chamber over a proposed security bill in 2014 while police arrested protesters outside the building. Wajir East lawmaker Rashid Kassim Amin assaulted
Wajir Wajir () is the capital of Wajir County in Kenya. It is situated in the former North Eastern Province. History A cluster of cairns near Wajir are generally ascribed by the local inhabitants to the Maadiinle, a semi-legendary people of high ...
Women Representative Fatuma Gedi.


Kosovo


11 March 2016

Opposition politicians released tear gas in parliament to obstruct a session in
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
.


13 July 2023

While Prime Minister
Albin Kurti Albin Kurti (; born 24March 1975) is a Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo Albanian politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Kosovo since 2021, having previously held the office from February to June 2020. He came to prominence in 1997 as the vi ...
was speaking about measures to defuse tensions with ethnic Serbs in the north, water was thrown at him, and a brawl broke out.


Kuwait

On 16 June 2016, a shoe fight started after Hamdan El-Azmi expressed his opposition to the government, presenting an amendment to the distribution of electoral constituencies in a new municipal law.


Lebanon

On 5 October 2015, lawmakers brawled over disputes during a
parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
committee meeting on energy shortages.


Maldives

On 28 January 2024, a brawl broke out in the
People's Majlis The People's Majlis () is the unicameral legislative body of Maldives. It has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, as outlined in the Constitution of the Maldives. It is composed of 93 members as of 2024. Each year on the first Mon ...
over the appointment of three cabinet members.


Mexico

On 1 December 2006, hours before the scheduled
Oath of Office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Suc ...
ceremony for President
Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. ...
in the Legislative Palace, the
Congress of the Union The Congress of the Union (, ), formally known as the General Congress of the United Mexican States (''Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''), is the legislature of the federal government of Mexico. It consists of two chambers: t ...
erupted in a brawl. The incident was broadcast on live television. Despite this, the ceremony took place. Calderón entered the Congress chamber through a back door directly onto the podium and, in a quick ceremony, took the Oath of Office amid jeers. Then, after singing the
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
, which silenced the opposition for a while, he took a quick exit rather than deliver his inaugural address to Congress (the traditional follow-up to the oath-taking).


Morocco

On 11 October 2014, Hamid Chabat scuffled with Aziz Lebbar.


Nepal

A brawl broke out in the Federal Parliament in 2015 during a debate over the country's new
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
.


Nigeria


22 June 2010

A fight broke out in the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
after a group of members were suspended for accusing the speaker of corruption.


18 September 2013

Politicians were involved in a fight after a group from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) tried to address parliament.


North Macedonia

In 2014, the
Democratic Party of Albanians The Democratic Party of Albanians (; , ''Demokratska Partija na Albancite'') or DPA is a political party of ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia. The DPA is a merger of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians (PDPA) and the People's De ...
announced it was boycotting
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
after a fist fight broke out in the chamber between its members Orhan Ibrahimi and Rexhail Ismaili from the ruling
Democratic Union for Integration The Democratic Union for Integration (, ) is the largest ethnic Albanian political party in North Macedonia and the third largest political party in the country. It was formed immediately after the country's 2001 armed conflict between the Nat ...
.


Pakistan


26 January 2017

The
National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...
witnessed violence when members of the ruling
Pakistan Muslim League (N) The Pakistan Muslim League (N) or (PML(N)) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right, Conservatism in Pakistan, conservative political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third-largest party in the Senate of Pakistan, Senate and the larges ...
and the opposition
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a political party in Pakistan established in 1996 by cricketer and politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The party is led by Gohar Ali Khan since late 2023. ...
came to blows with one another over the Panama Papers case. Amid scuffles and heated arguments, MPs slapped, kicked, and pushed each other in a rare clash in the house.


6 November 2018

Elected members of the ruling hall were caught on camera pushing, manhandling, and even dealing blows at each other. The focus of the fight was Asia Bibi, a woman saved from hanging by a ruling of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan The Supreme Court of Pakistan (; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the Judiciary of Pakistan, judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Established in accordance witPart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it h ...
, which ordered her release after she spent eight years on death row for conviction under
blasphemy laws A blasphemy law is a law prohibiting blasphemy, which is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of Reverence (attitude), reverence to a deity, or sacred objects, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable. According to Pew Re ...
.


4 February 2021

Parliament descended into violence, with the Opposition and treasury benches brawling each other. Later, three members were issued show-cause notices regarding their involvement in the "unpleasant incident" during parliamentary proceedings.


Peru


28 June 1988

When Peru had a bicameral legislature, member of congress Rómulo León ( APRA) tried to grab and punch his colleague Fernando Olivera (
FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...
) after Olivera accused him of having secret bank accounts in a Swiss bank. He was suspended for 120 days from Congress.


27 August 1998

After President
Alberto Fujimori Alberto Kenji Fujimori Fujimori (26 July 1938 – 11 September 2024) was a Peruvian politician, professor, and engineer who served as the 54th president of Peru from 1990 to 2000.* * * * * * * Born in Lima, Fujimori was the country's fir ...
dissolved
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
and approved a unicameral legislature, Congressman Javier Diez Canseco ( PS) decided to finish a heated discussion with a Fujimorist congressman with a punch in the jaw. He was suspended for 120 days from the legislature for the act.


26 July 2000

On the oath day, Congressmen threw coins at their colleague
Roger Cáceres Roger is a masculine given name, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic languages">Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") ...
because they accused him of being a turncoat for moving to the government party
Peru 2000 Peru 2000 () was a Peruvian right-wing political alliance that fielded candidates for the 2000 general elections. Alberto Fujimori and his political allies ran on the Peru 2000 ticket in which, Fujimori was triumphant in his second re-election a ...
. His son Roger Cáceres Pérez (also a Congressman) insulted the coin throwers.


August 2006

Union for Peru Congresswomen Nancy Obregón and Elsa Malpartida did not approve the Peru–United States Trade Promotion Agreement. For that reason, they tried to escape by punching and kicking Congress security. They were suspended for 120 days from the legislature for their acts.


19 May 2011

Congressman Víctor Andrés García Belaúnde ( AP) accused his colleague Luis Wilson ( PAP) of having his relatives work for a national hospital with high salaries. Wilson denied García Belaúnde's accusations, then went to his desk, started insulting him, and tried to fight with him, but his colleagues prevented it.


Philippines


Senate

In September 2016, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV turned off the microphone of his colleague
Alan Peter Cayetano Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano ( Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino lawyer, diplomat, and politician serving as a senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 2 ...
during a televised hearing on the Philippine war on drugs and engaged in January 2017 with Senator
Migz Zubiri Juan Miguel "Migz" Fernandez Zubiri (; born April 13, 1969) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator of the Philippines. He was the 24th President of the Senate of the Philippines, Senate President of the Philippines from July 25, 2022 t ...
in near fistfighting, after the Kilusang Pagbabago Coalition Members rejected Trillanes' resolution for an investigation for the Bureau of Immigration bribery scandal. In September 2024, both Zubiri and Cayetano nearly engaged in a fistfight due to Cayetano's last minute introduction of a resolution on the
Makati–Taguig boundary dispute The local city governments of Makati and Taguig of the Philippines were involved in a List of internal boundary disputes in the Philippines, territorial dispute. The cities claimed jurisdiction over the entirety of the Fort Bonifacio military re ...
.


House of Representatives

In the
lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...
, Representative Prospero Pichay Jr. got into a heated argument with fellow legislator Robert "Ace" Barbers during a hearing over
constitutional amendments A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...
in October 2016. After the hearing was suspended, Barbers walked towards Pichay. Reporters covering the forum overheard the two congressmen hurl expletives at each other. Barbers then pointed at the face of Pichay, who was seated. Pichay pushed away the other lawmaker's hand, then stood up. Their colleagues quickly stood between them as they tried to push each other and managed to break up the fight. In September 2024, Representatives Rodante Marcoleta and Joseph Stephen Paduano made threatening gestures against each other before being restrained by other lawmakers during an argument over a House investigation into Vice President
Sara Duterte Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president (after Gloria Macap ...
.


Senegal

On 1 December 2022, a pregnant member of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, Amy Ndiaye was involved in a fight with two fellow MPs in the chamber while it was in session being kicked and slapped. Mamadou Niang and Massata Samb were sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay Ndiaye five million
CFA franc CFA franc (, ) is the name of two currencies used by 210 million people (as of 2023) in fourteen African countries: the West African CFA franc (where "CFA" stands for , i.e. "African Financial Community" in English), used in eight West African c ...
in compensation.


Serbia

On 4 March 2025, a brawl broke out in the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
after opposition parties demanded the confirmation of the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and his government during a debate on a bill to increase funding for university education. Three MPs were injured.


South Africa


17 May 2016

Members of the
Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African communist and black nationalist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and his allies, on 26 July 20 ...
engaged in a brawl with security guards after attempting to prevent President
Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...
from addressing
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
.


5 April 2019

Before the 2019 general election, members of the EFF and Black First Land First parties began hitting each other and throwing chairs.


South Korea

There have been several events of legislative violence in the
National Assembly of South Korea The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea () is the unicameral national legislature of South Korea. Elections to the National Assembly are held every four years. The latest legislative elections were held on 10 April 2024. The current Na ...
; often, the politicians who are involved in such violence do not receive criminal penalties under civil laws.


22 September 1966

During an interpellation session on
saccharin Saccharin, also called saccharine, benzosulfimide, or E954, or used in saccharin sodium or saccharin calcium forms, is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener. Saccharin is a sultam that is about 500 times sweeter than sucrose, but has a bitter or ...
smuggling,
Korea Independence Party The Korea Independence Party (KIP; ) was a political party in South Korea. History The party was established in Shanghai by Kim Ku in 1928, uniting a faction of conservative members of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea headed ...
legislator Kim Du-han threw feces on cabinet members. His membership was terminated, and he received a jail sentence.


2 March 1998

During a vote to approve
Kim Jong-pil Kim Jong-pil (; January 7, 1926 – June 23, 2018), also known colloquially as JP, was a South Korean politician and the founder/first director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA, now the National Intelligence Service (South Kor ...
as
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
,
Grand National Party The Liberty Korea Party () was a conservative political party in South Korea that was described variously as right-wing, right-wing populist, or far-right. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party (), and before that as the Han ...
legislators submitted blank ballots to demonstrate their disapproval. A fight broke out after supporters of the Democratic ruling coalition of President
Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (, ; 6 January 192418 August 2009) was a South Korean politician, activist and statesman who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. Kim entered politics as a member of the new wing of the Democratic Pa ...
demanded that the vote be declared void.


12 March 2004

During a National Assembly vote on the motion to impeach President
Roh Moo-hyun Roh Moo-hyun (, ; 1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008. Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for ...
, supporters of the President openly clashed with opposition MPs for 20 minutes to stop the vote (which was in favor of
impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...
) from being finalized.


22 July 2009

A brawl broke out as the National Assembly passed three bills on reforming the media industry. Opposition MPs blocked Speaker Kim Hyong-o from entering the room to pass the bills while both sides clashed. The bills were eventually passed by the Deputy Speaker.


8 December 2010

A brawl broke out as the Grand National Party forcefully passed the year 2011 budget bill in advance without the presence of opposition parties.


22 November 2011

A brawl broke out as the National Assembly ratified the country's United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement. Opposition lawmakers used tear gas in the parliament. The ruling Grand National Party managed to force it through.


Sri Lanka

Legislative violence has happened in the
Parliament of Sri Lanka The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව ''Śrī Laṇkā Pārlimentuvā'', Tamil: இலங்கை நாடாளுமன்றம் '' ...
.


Suriname

On 13 December 2007, Chair of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
Paul Somohardjo ( PL) and representatives Ronnie Brunswijk ( ABOP) and Rashied Doekhi ( NDP) were involved in a fistfight on the assembly floor after the latter accused Somohardjo of involvement with alleged corruption at the Ministry of Spatial Planning.


Taiwan

The
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
ese
Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan () is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for four-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a ...
is the most notable modern example of legislative violence. In the history of the Legislative Yuan, numerous violent acts have occurred during parliamentary sessions. It is popularly referred to locally as "Legislator Brawling" (
Taiwanese Mandarin Taiwanese Mandarin, frequently referred to as ''Guoyu'' () or ''Huayu'' (), is the variety of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Taiwan. A large majority of the Taiwanese population is fluent in Mandarin, though many also speak a variety of Min Chinese ...
: ). In 1995, the Legislative Yuan was presented with the
Ig Nobel Prize The Ig Nobel Prize () is a satirical prize awarded annually since 1991 to promote public engagement with scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of the award is a ...
Peace Award, for "demonstrating that politicians gain more by punching, kicking and gouging each other than by waging war against other nations".


7 April 1988

The first recorded brawl in the history of the Legislative Yuan. While speaker Liu Kuo-tsai was counting votes on a budget proposal that passed, Ju Gau-jeng jumped onto the speaker's podium, followed by Jaw Shaw-kong, who was attempting to stop Ju. Throughout the altercation, Liu continued counting votes.


28 March 2001

Lo Fu-chu Lo Fu-chu (; born 2 July 1943) is a former Taiwanese legislator and a self-described leader of the "Celestial Alliance" organized crime group. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he was known as the most notorious person involved with organized c ...
scuffled with
Diane Lee Diane Lee Ching-an (; Lee Ching-an; born 17 January 1959) is a Taiwanese former politician. She naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1991, but later relinquishment of United States nationality, relinquished U.S. citizenship. Lee, a Kuomintang mem ...
during a committee meeting.


23 March 2004

A serious scuffle broke out between the ruling
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
(DPP) and opposition
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
(KMT) members after an argument over vote recounts from the
presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...
, when opposition leader
Lien Chan Lien Chan ( zh, t=連戰, w=, p=, poj=; born August 27, 1936) is a Taiwanese political scientist and politician. He was the chairman of the Taiwan Provincial Government from 1990 to 1993, premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, vice ...
accused President
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...
of rigging the vote.


7 May 2004

Legislators Chu Hsing-yu and
William Lai Lai Ching-te (; pinyin: ''Lài Qīngdé''; born 6 October 1959), also known as William Lai, is a Taiwanese politician and former physician who is currently serving as the eighth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since May 2024. He is ...
got into a brawl over legislative procedures. TV cameras showed Chu grabbing Lai and trying to wrestle him onto a desk. He then tried to
headbutt A headbutt or butt is a targeted strike (attack), strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's Skull#Humans, cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of ...
his colleague before jabbing him in the stomach. The brawl resulted in having a traffic policeman called into the chamber to test Chu's alcohol level after he was accused of being drunk. The tests showed no sign of alcohol influence.


26 October 2004

During a debate on a military hardware purchase ordinance, the opposition and ruling party engaged in a food fight after a disagreement broke out.


30 May 2006

Amid a proposal about creating direct transport links with the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, DPP deputy Wang Shu-hui snatched the written proposal and shoved it into her mouth. Opposition members failed to get her to cough it up by pulling her hair. She later spat the proposal out and tore it up. This was the third time the DPP's actions stopped a vote over the issue. During the incident another DPP member, , spat at an opposition member.


8 May 2007

Two dozen members overwhelmed the Speaker's podium, which became a free-for-all between the ruling DPP and opposition KMT with punches and sprayed water, requiring at least one hospitalization. The fight was over an alleged delay in the annual budget.


25 June 2013

Angry legislators wrestled, splashed water, and bit each other in a brawl over a controversial
capital gains tax A capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax on profits realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals, real estate, and property. In South Africa, capital g ...
on share trading.


13 to 14 July 2017

Legislators brawled on two consecutive days over a controversial $420 billion infrastructure spending plan. The opposition (headed by the KMT) said the plan would benefit cities and counties faithful to President
Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen (; pinyin: ''Cài Yīngwén''; born 31 August 1956) is a Taiwanese politician and legal scholar who served as the seventh president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2016 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party ...
's ruling party, the DPP. They also said the plan was devised to secure support for the DPP ahead of the 2018 regional elections. On 13 July, Premier
Lin Chuan Lin Chuan (; born 13 December 1951) is a Taiwanese economist, lawyer, and politician who served as the Premier of the Republic of China from 2016 to 2017. He was the first cabinet head under the Tsai Ing-wen government. Before his premiership ...
was prevented from delivering his report on the budget after a water balloon was thrown towards him. This resulted in him leaving the chamber and causing the session to halt. The following day, opposition lawmakers occupied the chamber. They raised large padded office chairs above their heads, surrounded the podium, and grappled with rival legislators to prevent Lin from presenting the report again as water balloons were thrown. This resulted in the early suspension of the parliamentary session.


27 November 2020

Legislators from the KMT threw pig guts and brawled with other lawmakers as they tried to stop Premier
Su Tseng-chang Su Tseng-chang ( zh, t=蘇貞昌, poj=So͘ Cheng-chhiong, p=Sū Zhēnchāng; born 28 July 1948) is a Taiwanese politician who served as premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2019 to 2023. He was the chairma ...
from taking questions regarding the easing of US pork imports.


20 May 2024

A brawl broke out after the KMT-dominated Legislative Yuan voted in favor of highly controversial legislative reform bills. Chung Chia-pin, Chiu Chih-wei, Chuang Jui-hsiung, Puma Shen and Wu Tsung-hsien were hospitalized following the incident.


20 December 2024

A brawl broke out after KMT lawmakers tried to regain control over the Speaker's chair, which had been occupied overnight by DPP lawmakers trying to prevent the passage of legislative reform bills.


Thailand

There has been legislative violence in the
National Assembly of Thailand The Parliament of Thailand ( Abrv: NAT; , , ) is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand. It convenes in the Sappaya-Sapasathan, Dusit District, Bangkok. The Parliament was established in 1932 after the adoption of Thai ...
.


Tunisia


16 January 2019

There have been violent clashes between members of the
Assembly of the Representatives of the People The Assembly of the Representatives of the People ( ', ; ARP) is the lower house of the Parliament of Tunisia. The Assembly replaced the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, Constituent Assembly and was first Tunisian parliamentary election, 2014, e ...
.


7 December 2020

Members of the far-right Dignity Coalition assaulted lawmakers from the Democratic Bloc. One MP had a bleeding face; another appeared unconscious. The reason for the fight reportedly was a misogynistic statement by Karama's deputy, Mohammed Affes, from the week before.


18 June 2021

Abir Moussi, the outspoken leader of the opposition Free Destourian Party, was slapped and kicked as she was filming a parliamentary session on her mobile phone.


Turkey

There has been legislative violence during Grand National Assembly sessions, including: *Fevzi Sihanlioglu died of a heart attack during a fistfight in 2001. *Politicians fought over
cram school A cram school (colloquially: crammer, test prep, tuition center, or exam factory) is a specialized school that trains its students to achieve particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or university, univer ...
ing in 2014. *Five politicians, including Mahmut Tanal and Ertuğrul Kürkçü, were injured during a fight over
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
powers in 2015. * Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet was filming a debate using her
mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...
when Mustafa Elitaş strangled her in 2017. *Politicians fought during debates over a Constitutional Commission in 2016. *Politicians fought over
constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...
s in 2017. * Aylin Nazlıaka, ,
Şafak Pavey Şafak Pavey (born 10 July 1976) is a Turkish diplomat, columnist and politician. She was a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) representing Istanbul Province. She is the first di ...
, Burcu Çelik Özkan, Pervin Buldan and were injured during the first female fight in Parliament in 2017. * Müslüm Doğan and Mahmut Toğrul had to seek medical attention after a parliamentary row over the cross-border offensive on Afrin, Syria in 2018 took a violent turn. *A fistfight erupted in parliament in 2018 after lawmakers approved changes to the country's electoral rules that critics say are aimed at helping President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...
consolidate power. *MPs fought over HDP lawmaker
Ahmet Şık Ahmet Şık (; born 1970, Adana) is a Turkish investigative journalist, the author of several books, a trade unionist, and member of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Parliament in Turkey.Details othis website; accessed on 11 April 2011 His book, ...
's speech. * AKP lawmaker punched HDP lawmaker Tuma Çelik during a brawl. * Garo Paylan, a member of the HDP, was attacked by AKP members as the parliament's Constitutional Commission was debating whether to strip pro-Kurdish deputies of their immunity. * During a meeting in Ankara with
metropolitan municipality A metropolitan municipality is a municipality established to serve a metropolitan area. Canada In generic terms and in practical application within Canada, a metropolitan municipality is an urban local government with partial or complete consol ...
officials, mayor
Mansur Yavaş Mansur Yavaş (; born 23 May 1955) is a Turkish lawyer and politician who is currently the Mayor of Ankara, holding the office since April 2019. He was elected in the 2019 Ankara mayoral election as the candidate of the Nation Alliance (Turkey), ...
interrupted his speech and abandoned the
lectern A lectern is a standing reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of ...
in an attempt to prevent a confrontation between the AKP, CHP, MHP and İYİ Party councilors in 2019. * MPs fought over the military intervention in Idlib in the Syrian Civil War in 2020. *A fight broke out between MPs during a debate on government control over the appointment of judicial officials. * A brawl between female MPs erupted in 2021 during budget talks after ruling AKP deputy Bahar Ayvazoğlu targeted the main opposition CHP MPs and its leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu throughout her speech. * A fight broke out in 2022 over next year's budget. * A fight broke out during a debate regarding the eligibility of imprisoned MP Can Atalay to assume his seat. * A brawl erupted after MHP deputy Olcay Kılavuz insulted former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş.


Uganda

On 26 September 2017, members of
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
brawled during a plenary session after the parliament speaker allowed a constitutional amendment to be presented to MPs. The amendment centered on the age-limit issue on the re-election of President
Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and Officer (armed forces), military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third-List of current state lead ...
, who was then 73 years old, and the limit for re-election was capped at 75. A member stood on a table and threw a chair at the flag of the president and was pulled down and punched up. Metal sticks and chairs were used as weapons. Museveni was allowed to campaign in the 2021 Ugandan general election.


Ukraine

The
Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the unicameralism, unicameral parliament of Ukraine. It consists of 450 Deputy (legislator), deputies presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovn ...
is famous for its common and violent fights, and Verkhovna Rada meetings are often called a "government boxing match". The Verkhovna Rada has no regulations nor traditions against unparliamentary language, and brawls are very common in the chamber due to the high number of insults and extreme actions in the chamber (e.g., accusations of dishonesty, corruption, embezzlement, and treason).


27 April 2010

A debate on extending Russia's lease of the Sevastopol Naval Base in the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
in exchange for a €30 billion discount on Russian natural gas descended into a mass brawl, involving smoke bombs, eggs and general fighting among members. Parliamentary Chairman
Volodymyr Lytvyn Volodymyr Mykhailovych Lytvyn (, ; born April 28, 1956) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician best known for being Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian parliament. Having previously served in that position from 2002 until ...
had two umbrellas placed in a defensive position in front of his microphone as dozens of eggs were thrown against him, but continued his address to the chamber without displaying any discomfort.


16 December 2010

Fights broke out after Batkivshchyna lawmakers blocked the parliament podium and
Party of Regions A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...
lawmakers attempted to take it back by force. The scuffle resulted in six opposition deputies having to be hospitalized. Parliamentary Chairman Lytvyn later displayed chains and iron bars which he alleged some lawmakers had brought into the building to use as weapons.


24 May 2012

Violent scuffles broke out during a debate over a bill allowing the official use of the
Russian language Russian is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic languages, Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is ...
in parts of the country, resulting in lawmaker Mykola Petruk being taken to hospital after suffering a blow to his head.


12–13 December 2012

On 12 December, a mass brawl broke out over voting protocol in place of absent deputies during the first session of the parliament appointed after the previous parliamentary election. Fighting continued the following day, after deputies had backed
Mykola Azarov Mykola Yanovych Azarov (; ; née, né Pakhlo, Cyrillic: Пахло; born 17 December 1947) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 11 March 2010 to 27 January 2014. He was the First Vice Prime Minister an ...
for a second term as
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
.


14 August 2014

Two lawmakers, Oleh Lyashko and Oleksandr Shevchenko, got into an argument on the floor. Shevchenko accused Lyashko, who had built an image as a combative opponent of pro-Russian separatists, of never having visited the separatist eastern region. The argument eventually led to Shevchenko punching Lyashko in the face.


14 November 2016

Yuriy Boyko, of the centre-left Opposition Bloc, punched Oleh Lyashko in the face after the right-wing Radical Party member purportedly accused him of being a "Kremlin agent".


20 December 2018

A brawl broke out after opposition politician Nestor Shufrych tore down a poster of oligarch and politician Viktor Medvedchuk.


United Kingdom

In the
House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
, the government and the opposition are separated by red lines drawn on the carpet. The red lines in front of the two sets of benches are two sword-lengths apart (or a little more than two sword-lengths apart); a Member is traditionally not allowed to cross the line during debates, supposedly because the Member might then be able to attack an individual on the opposite side. These procedures were made because the Members were allowed to carry weapons into the House in its founding days.


4 April 1938

During a debate about the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
MP Robert Bower told Jewish Labour MP Emanuel Shinwell to " go back to Poland". Shinwell walked across the floor of the House and struck Bower in the face before turning to the Speaker, apologising, and walking out of the chamber. Bower also then apologised to the Speaker, and no disciplinary action was taken against either MP.


31 January 1972

During a dispute over the conduct of
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
soldiers on Bloody Sunday on the day before, Independent Socialist MP
Bernadette Devlin Josephine Bernadette McAliskey (née Devlin; born 23 April 1947), usually known as Bernadette Devlin or Bernadette McAliskey, is an Irish civil rights leader and former politician. She served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster in North ...
punched the Conservative Party Home Secretary
Reginald Maudling Reginald Maudling (7 March 1917 – 14 February 1979) was a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1962 to 1964 and as Home Secretary from 1970 to 1972. From 1955 until the late 1960s, he was spoken of as a prospecti ...
. Her aggression was in response to the comments made by Maudling, who was maintaining that the
1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment The 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), is a special forces battalion of the British Army's Parachute Regiment. Along with various other regiments and corps from across the British Armed Forces, it is part of Special Forces Support G ...
had fired at the protesters in self-defence, contrary to the testimonies of civilian eyewitnesses (including Devlin herself). She argued that she was being denied the right to speak. Her actions resulted in her being banned from the
House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
for six months.


27 May 1976

In the aftermath of a rancorous debate with Labour MPs over the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill, Conservative
Michael Heseltine Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, (; born 21 March 1933) is a British politician. Having begun his career as a property developer, he became one of the founders of the publishing house Haymarket Media Group in 1957. Heseltine se ...
was enraged by a group who began singing ''
The Red Flag "The Red Flag" () is a socialist song, emphasising the sacrifices and solidarity of the international labour movement. It is the anthem of the British Labour Party, the Northern Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Irish Labour P ...
''. He seized the chamber's
ceremonial mace A ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a Head of state, sovereign or other high officials in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, der ...
and brandished it over his head but was restrained by Jim Prior, and after his departure, legislative action was suspended for the day.


19 October 2022

During opposition day, the Labour Party tabled a motion to ban
fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure inje ...
across the United Kingdom. A ban on fracking had been a key promise of the Conservative Party's winning 2019 general election manifesto under former leader
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
, and many Conservative MPs and voters were vocally opposed to fracking. However, Prime Minister
Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth da ...
, who had recently been elected party leader by the Conservative Party membership with only a minority of support from MPs, personally supported fracking and instructed MPs to vote against the proposal, claiming that the vote was a motion of confidence in the government and threatening that any Conservative MP who supported the ban would have the whip withdrawn (i.e., be expelled from the Parliamentary party and sit as an independent). Minutes before the vote took place, the Minister of State for Climate Graham Stuart announced that it was not a vote of confidence and he would support the ban. This led to chaos among Conservative MPs, and party
whips A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
are alleged to have physically pushed MPs towards the "No" voting lobby, in one of the few examples of violence between members of the same party. The motion was defeated, but forty Conservative MPs abstained from the vote. Liz Truss resigned as leader of the Conservative Party the following day and was replaced as prime minister on 25 October 2022 by former
Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...
, after the shortest tenure in British political history. Sunak quickly reinstituted the government moratorium on fracking despite having previously voiced support for the practice.


United States


15 February 1798

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...
Congressman
Roger Griswold Roger Griswold (; May 21, 1762 – October 25, 1812) was a lawyer, politician and judge from Connecticut. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court and the List of Governors of C ...
of
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
attacked
Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed li ...
Representative
Matthew Lyon Matthew Lyon (July 14, 1749 – August 1, 1822) was an Irish-born American printer, farmer, soldier and politician, who served as a United States representative from both Vermont and Kentucky. Lyon represented Vermont in Congress from 1797 to ...
of
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
with a
hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes 19 species accepted by ''Plants of the World Online''. Seven species are native to southeast Asia in China, Indochina, and northeastern India (Assam), and twelve ...
walking stick in the chambers of the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
. Griswold struck Lyon repeatedly about the head, shoulders, and arms while Lyon attempted to shield himself from the blows. Lyon then turned and ran to the fireplace, took up a pair of metal tongs, and, having armed himself thus, returned to the engagement. Griswold then tripped Lyon and struck him in the face while he lay on the ground, at which point the two were separated. After a break of several minutes, however, Lyon unexpectedly pursued Griswold again with the tongs, and the brawl was re-ignited. The two men had a prior history of conflict. On 30 January of that year, Griswold had publicly insulted Lyon by calling him a coward, and Lyon had retaliated by spitting in Griswold's face. As a result of Lyon's actions in that case, he became the first Congressman to have charges filed against him with that body's ethics committee, although he escaped censure through a vote in the House.


4 December 1837

John Wilson, the speaker of the
Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House has 100 members elected from an equal number of constituencies across the state. Each distr ...
and president of the Arkansas Real Estate Bank, stabbed Representative J. J. Anthony to death during a legislative dispute on the floor of the chamber. Anthony had suggested that the president of the state bank (Wilson himself) administer bounties for the killing of wolves, a responsibility comically beneath an official of Wilson's stature. Incensed, he drew a bowie knife and attacked Anthony, who was unable to defend himself despite drawing a knife of his own. Although Wilson was expelled from his office, he was later acquitted of murder.


22 May 1856

Congressman
Preston Brooks Preston Smith Brooks (August 5, 1819 – January 27, 1857) was an American slaver, politician, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina, serving as a member of the Democratic Party from 1853 until his resignation i ...
of
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
famously assaulted
Charles Sumner Charles Sumner (January 6, 1811March 11, 1874) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1851 until his death in 1874. Before and during the American Civil War, he was a leading American ...
of
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
for a speech of his, saying Brooks' cousin, Senator Andrew Butler of
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, took "a mistress who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight—I mean, the harlot,
Slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
." According to Hoffer (2010), "It is also important to note the sexual imagery that recurred throughout the oration, which was neither accidental nor without precedent.
Abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...
routinely accused slaveholders of maintaining slavery so that they could engage in forcible sexual relations with their slaves." Sumner's own adopted daughter Mary Mildred Williams was a white-appearing girl born into slavery who was the descendant of such a relationship before being freed with the help of Sumner. Brooks was infuriated and intended to challenge Sumner to a duel. After having consulted with fellow South Carolina Congressman Laurence Keitt on the situation, Brooks and Keitt decided that Sumner had the social status of a "drunkard" and was thus unworthy of the traditional challenge to a
duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...
. Brooks (accompanied by Keitt) approached and confronted Sumner as he sat writing at his desk in the almost empty Senate chamber. As Sumner began to stand up, Brooks began beating Sumner severely on the head with a thick
gutta-percha Gutta-percha is a tree of the genus ''Palaquium'' in the family Sapotaceae, which is primarily used to create a high-quality latex of the same name. The material is rigid, naturally biologically Chemically inert, inert, resilient, electrically n ...
cane with a gold head before he could reach his feet. Sumner was knocked down and trapped under the heavy desk (bolted to the floor), but Brooks continued to bash Sumner until he ripped the desk from the floor. By this time, Sumner was blinded by his blood, and he staggered up the aisle and collapsed, lapsing into unconsciousness. Brooks continued to beat the motionless Sumner until he broke his cane, then quietly left the chamber. Several other senators attempted to help Sumner but were blocked by Keitt, who had jumped into the aisle, brandishing a pistol and shouting, "Let them be!" Keitt was censured for his actions and resigned in protest but was overwhelmingly re-elected to his seat by his South Carolina constituency within a month. For several decades following, Senators often carried walking canes and even
revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
s in the Senate Chamber, fearing a similar assault.


5 February 1858

Congressman Laurence M. Keitt of South Carolina was involved in another incident of legislative violence less than two years later, starting a massive brawl on the House floor during a tense late-night debate. Keitt became offended when
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
Congressman (and later
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
) Galusha A. Grow stepped over to the Democratic side of the House chamber while delivering an anti-slavery speech. Keitt dismissively interrupted Grow's speech to demand he sit down, calling him a "black Republican puppy". Grow indignantly responded by telling Keitt that "No negro-driver shall crack his whip over me". Keitt became enraged and went for Grow's throat, shouting that he would "choke him for that". A large brawl involving approximately 50 representatives erupted on the House floor, ending only when a missed punch from Rep. Cadwallader Washburn of
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
upended the hairpiece of Rep. William Barksdale of
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
. The embarrassed Barksdale accidentally replaced the wig backward, causing both sides to laugh spontaneously. Keitt would later die of wounds following the
Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...
while fighting for the Confederacy.


5 April 1860

During an anti-slavery speech by Illinois Republican Owen Lovejoy on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on 5 April 1860, Lovejoy condemned the Democratic Party for its racist views and steadfast support of slavery. As Lovejoy gave his speech condemning the evils of slavery, several of the Democrats present in the audience, such as Roger Atkinson Pryor, grew irate and incensed over Lovejoy's anti-slavery remarks and threatened him with physical harm, brandishing pistols and canes, with several Republicans rushing to Lovejoy's defense.


24 February 1887

The
Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Sena ...
experienced a massive brawl between Democrats and Republicans in the
Indiana Senate The Indiana State Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year ...
and
Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...
. The event began as an attempt by Democratic Governor Isaac P. Gray to be elected to the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
and his own party's attempt to thwart him. Gray was a former Republican elected Governor by popular vote but was scorned as a turncoat by his new party, who maneuvered desperately (and unsuccessfully) to try to prevent his eligibility for the Senate seat. When Gray went over the head of the Democrats in arranging a
midterm election Apart from general elections and by-elections, a midterm election refers to a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders (e.g. governor, members of local council) in the middle of the t ...
for a new Lieutenant Governor, Republican Robert S. Robertson was elected with a majority of the popular vote, a situation the Democrats refused to accept despite a ruling from the
Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse. In Dec ...
. The matter came to a head when Robertson attempted to enter the Senate chamber to be sworn in and take his seat presiding over the session; he was attacked, beaten, and thrown bodily from the chamber by the Democrats, who then locked the chamber door, beginning four hours of intermittent mass brawling that spread throughout the Indiana Statehouse. The fight ended only after Republicans and Democrats started brandishing pistols and threatening to kill each other. The Governor deployed the
Indianapolis Police Department The Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) (September 1, 1854 – December 31, 2006) was the principal law enforcement agency of Indianapolis, Indiana, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Indianapolis and Director of Public Safety. Prior t ...
to restore order. Subsequently, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to communicate with the Democratic Senate, ending the legislative session and leading to calls for United States Senators to be elected by popular vote.


20 February 1902

During a debate on a bill dealing with the
Philippine Islands The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, Senator
Benjamin Tillman Benjamin Ryan Tillman (August 11, 1847 – July 3, 1918) was a politician of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party who served as List of governors of South Carolina, governor of South Carolina from 1890 to 1894, and as a Un ...
of
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
accused Senator John L. McLaurin of South Carolina of "treachery" for siding with the Republicans in support of Philippine annexation, and alleged that McLaurin had been granted control of government
patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...
in South Carolina. Upon receiving word of this statement, McLaurin entered the Senate Chamber and denounced Tillman, upon which Tillman attacked him. During the fight, other senators were hit by the punches. As a result, the Senate went into a closed session to debate the matter. Both senators apologized to the Senate but almost came to blows immediately thereafter. On 28 February, the Senate voted 54 to 12, with 22 abstentions, to
censure A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a sp ...
both Tillman and McLaurin. McLaurin did not seek re-election, while Tillman served in the Senate until 1918.


4 March 1985

On the House of Representatives chamber floor, Democrat Thomas Downey of New York confronted Robert Dornan, a California Republican, and Dornan grabbed Downey's tie in response. Downey approached Dornan in response to a speech Dornan had given two days earlier before the
Conservative Political Action Conference The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC ) is an annual political conference attended by Conservatism in the United States, conservative Activism, activists and officials from across the United States. CPAC is hosted by the American ...
, in which he called Downey a " draft-dodging wimp" because of Downey's repeated denouncement of US-backed anti-government
Contras In the history of Nicaragua, the Contras (Spanish: ''La contrarrevolución'', the counter-revolution) were the right-wing militias who waged anti-communist guerilla warfare (1979–1990) against the Marxist governments of the Sandinista Na ...
rebels in
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
. During the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, Downey received a medical deferment from the
draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
because of a
perforated eardrum A perforated eardrum (tympanic membrane perforation) is a prick in the eardrum. It can be caused by infection ( otitis media), trauma, overpressure (loud noise), inappropriate ear clearing, and changes in middle ear pressure. An otoscope can be ...
. Downey had also been active in protesting the war. The Dornan-Downey feud originated two years earlier when Downey spoke against Dornan's nomination for a position at the
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency The U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) was an independent agency of the United States government that existed from 1961 to 1999. Its mission was to strengthen United States national security by "formulating, advocating, negotiating, ...
. The Dornan speech was made on Saturday, 2 March. On Monday afternoon, 4 March, Downey confronted Dornan, attracting dozens of viewers. Dornan claims Downey grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, asking if he had called him a wimp. Dornan answered, "I did, and you are." The exchange became heated, and Dornan eventually accused Downey of losing him the job two years earlier. According to Downey, as he began to walk away, Dornan grabbed him by the tie and collar and threatened him with "bodily harm." Dornan claimed he was straightening Downey's tie knot, saying later, "I like all the members to look elegant on the floor, you know." According to himself and other witnesses, Dornan told Downey to "get out of my face." After, Downey went to the
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-l ...
to tell him what had happened. After the incident, Downey released a statement through a spokesman that he would not speak to reporters "until Dornan apologizes." His spokesman also said Downey was considering filing a complaint with the House Sergeant at Arms. Several witnesses spoke about the incident. Democratic Congressman
Mike Lowry Michael Edward Lowry (March 8, 1939 – May 1, 2017) was an American politician who served as the 20th governor of Washington from 1993 to 1997. His political career ended when his deputy press secretary, Susanne Albright, made accusations of ...
said, "Dornan grabbed Downey roughly by the collar, and I mean aggressively. None of this straighten-the-tie baloney. And he told Downey, 'Don't let me catch you off the floor, where you are protected by the sergeant at arms.' I really think Downey restrained himself." Republican Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, who witnessed the altercation, said, "I found it humorous that Downey had to run up to the Speaker when it was over to tell all. It was like a little classroom act . . . Very childish . . . I think he's made much to-do about nothing." The day after the incident, House Speaker
Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-l ...
condemned the behavior and said he told Dornan, "You can settle it on the street, but don't settle it on the House floor." He also told reporters that "discipline" would ensue if "anything like that" happened again. That day, Downey stated again, "Congressman Dornan owes me and the House of Representatives an apology." Dornan responded, "Apologize for what? For calling him a wimp? I am willing to concede that perhaps he just walks, talks, and acts like a little arrogant wimp. But maybe it's disinformation. Maybe he really wears a black leather jacket by night that I don't know about."


7 June 2007

During the final day of the 2007 regular session of the Alabama State Senate Republican Sen. Charles Bishop of Jasper punched Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe in the head after the latter allegedly called the former a "son of a bitch". Bystanders in the room then pulled the two apart.


15 June 2011

During a vote of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
budget, state Democrat Assemblymen Warren Furutani and Republican Don Wagner broke out in a fight over a comment Wagner made that Furutani deemed offensive.


15 December 2015

A bloody backroom brawl took place between the mayor and a council member at a
city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
meeting in
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
.


29 May 2017

During a contentious 2017
Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...
session, a minor altercation was observed after Republican State Representative Matt Rinaldi was pushed and received personal death threats. The incident occurred after Rinaldi called U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a large crowd of protesters, in opposition to the sanctuary cities ban, disrupted the legislative proceedings. Representative Poncho Nevárez, Democratic Party member, admitted to laying hands on Rinaldi amid the fierce debates, but no arrests were made by Texas DPS.


6 January 2023

In the midst of the lengthy 2023 House Speaker election, Representative Mike Rogers was restrained by Representative Richard Hudson when Rogers attempted to lunge at Representative Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, alongside other members of the
Freedom Caucus The Freedom Caucus, also known as the House Freedom Caucus, is a congressional caucus consisting of Republican Party (United States), Republican members of the United States House of Representatives. It is generally considered to be the most Cons ...
, had blocked Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid for four days by nominating and voting for other representatives, which caused much tension in the House. This, in combination with Gaetz's attempt to obtain a subcommittee chairmanship in the
House Armed Services Committee The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee or HASC, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of ...
(which Rogers was chairman-elect of), precipitated the incident.


Venezuela


24 January 1848

After almost two decades of continuous clashes, a brawl broke out at the headquarters of the
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
in
Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
between
Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...
and Liberals, leading to four deaths.


10 February 2011

Deputy protested the presence of a boisterous group of Chavistas in the audience.


30 April 2013

During a session of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
pro-government and opposition deputies got into a fight. The origin of the discussion had to do with the rejection by National Assembly president
Diosdado Cabello Diosdado Cabello Rondón (born 15 April 1963Vicepresidencia de la República Bolivariana de VenezuelaDiosdado Cabello Rondón, accessed 19 April 2010) is a Venezuelan politician who currently serves as Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace s ...
to give members of the opposition a right to speak.


5 July 2017

Colectivos and supporters of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader serving as the 53rd president of Venezuela since 2013. Previously, he was the 24th Vice President of Venezuela, vice president from 2012 to 20 ...
stormed the
Palacio Federal Legislativo The Palacio Federal Legislativo ( English: Federal Legislative Palace), also known as the Capitolio, is a historic building in Caracas, Venezuela which houses the National Assembly. Located southwest of the Plaza Bolívar, it was built between 1 ...
on
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
, assaulting many members of the opposition-led
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. At least 12 opposition legislators and their staff were injured as a result of the attack.


Yugoslavia

On June 20, 1928,
Puniša Račić Puniša Račić ( sr-cyr, Пуниша Рачић; 12 July 1886 – 16 October 1944) was a Montenegrin Serb, Serb leader and People's Radical Party (NRS) politician. He assassinated Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) representatives Pavle Radić and Đ ...
, a Montenegrin Serb leader of the People's Radical Party (NRS), shot and killed Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) representatives Pavle Radić and Đuro Basariček and HSS leader Stjepan Radić, who died of his injuries two months later, during a highly charged session aggravated by ethnic tensions on the floor of parliament. He was tried and handed a 60-year sentence, immediately reduced to twenty years. He served most of his sentence under house arrest and was killed by
Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
in October 1944.


See also

* List of attacks on legislatures *
Political violence Political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals. It can include violence which is used by a State (polity), state against other states (war), violence which is used by a state against civilians and non-st ...
*
Workplace violence Workplace violence, violence in the workplace, or occupational violence refers to violence, usually in the form of physical abuse or threat, that creates a risk to the health and safety of an employee or multiple employees. The National Institut ...


Further reading

* :*


References

{{Reflist


External links

*''The 8 July 2006 version of this article uses the translation of the corresponding Chinese-language Wikipedia article.''
Causes and Possible Solutions to Brawling in the Ukrainian ParliamentHuge brawls in legislatures, explainedWhen politicians fight: Making sense of physical violence in national legislaturesExplaining Physical Violence in Parliaments
Violence Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
Workplace violence Political violence Politics-related lists