Steve Nikoui, the father of a U.S. Marine who was killed in 2021 during the evacuation of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanour for interrupting President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address, according to Capitol Police.

Nikoui yelled “Abbey Gate, Abbey Gate” during the president’s speech, a reference to the place where his son, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, and 12 other troops were killed during the chaotic final days of the U.S. presence in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Police officers quickly removed Nikoui, 51, from the gallery where he was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla. Biden paused briefly during the interruption but moved on quickly.

A statement from the Capitol Police said officers had warned Nikoui to stop, and when he did not, they removed him from the chamber.

In the statement, officers said: “This is a routine charge on Capitol Hill. People who illegally demonstrate/disrupt Congress typically are released after they pay a $50 fine, so the misdemeanour charge is resolved without going to court.”

Nikoui has been a vocal critic of Biden since the death of his son. In August 2021, he told The Daily Beast that he blamed the president for the tragedy.

“They sent my son over there as a paper pusher and then had the Taliban outside providing security,” Nikoui said at the time, according to the news organization.

The New York Times News Service