Demonstrators disrupt Supreme Court, denounce campaign spending ruling

 Several demonstrators disrupted the start of business at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday on the fifth anniversary of the court’s contentious ruling that lifted all limits on corporate spending in federal election campaigns.

The usually tranquil Supreme Court chambers were jarred when one person stood up and denounced the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling just as the justices prepared to begin issuing decisions on cases argued earlier in the term.

As police were taking that person out of the chamber after wrestling the demonstrator to the ground, another protester started shouting “one person one vote” amid the clamor of chairs being knocked over. Another demonstrator began shouting about “the 99 percent,” a reference to the majority of Americans as opposed to the richest one percent of the population.

 The commotion lasted about a couple of minutes before police removed the demonstrators and the court got back to business, issuing rulings and hearing oral arguments in a closely watched housing discrimination case.

The court’s 5-4 decision in the Citizens United case dismantled restrictions on independent corporate and union expenditures in federal elections.