The "announcement of misdemeanor charges against Sen. Kaine's son contains no suggestion that he engaged in disruptive behavior while at the rally, but are instead focused on his actions as he was arrested after he left," Kaine's spokeswoman, Miryam Lipper, said in a statement.
“Tim and Anne support their son and hope the matter is resolved soon,” Lipper said.
The charges stem from an incident on March 4 at the state Capitol in St. Paul when a group of 125 protesters wearing all black — with some covering their faces — stormed a Trump rally. Demonstrators tossed a smoke bomb into the crowd of about 400, sprayed pepper spray and blew whistles and air-horns, inciting a riot. They scattered as police arrived, but Kaine was caught. Seven others were also charged for their participation in the chaos.
“When people seek to prevent others who are peacefully assembled from making their voices heard, it threatens the very foundation of our democracy,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said.
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