Protestors disrupted a Congressional hearing on Thursday, physically closing in on former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger and prompting Committee Chair Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to call for their removal by the United States Capitol Police.

Kissinger, who was invited by the Senate Armed Services Committee to present testimony on national security and global challenges, was the target of members of “Code Pink,” a group that describes itself as a “grassroots peace and social justice movement focused on mainly anti-war issues.” Former Secretaries of State George Schultz and Madeleine Albright were also present to testify, but were not the focus of the protest.

Many of the protestors wore pink tee-shirts and some carried homemade signs as a male voice chanted, “Arrest Henry Kissinger for war crimes!” A woman joined in adding, “For the people of Vietnam. For the people of Cambodia. For the people of East Timor.” The chants referenced the statesman’s service as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor in the Nixon administration’s prosecution of the war in Vietnam from 1968 to 1974.

Kissinger’s role in shaping U.S. foreign policy during the Nixon and Ford administrations has made him a target of criticism for the unpopular Vietnam War. British-American author, Christopher Hitchens published The Trial of Henry Kissinger in 2001 accusing the former Secretary of State of offenses against international law. The Code Pink protestors’ chant, “arrest Henry Kissinger of war crimes,” is a direct quote from Hitchens’s book.

In what appeared to be a serious security breach, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) were not present in the committee room and McCain had to ask repeatedly that they be summoned to restore order. The 91-year-old Kissinger is recovering from shoulder surgery and appeared frail as he entered the room, but remained seated and expressionless throughout the nearly three-minute demonstration. He did not seem to be harmed, although the protestors were able to press within arm’s length of him and swing a pair of handcuffs near his head.

The USCP is an accredited federal law enforcement agency with the stated mission to “protect the Congress, its legislative processes, members, employees and visitors from crime or disruption.” Capitol officers must meet minimum requirements and undergo 26 weeks of extensive training that includes courses in physical security and VIP protection. Spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider admitted later that the force “did not meet the standards expected of the USCP,” adding that a “thorough review” of the incident will be conducted.

Sen. McCain declared the committee in recess and called for the USCP, but committee members remained in the room and press video shows several senators physically placing themselves between the protestors and Kissinger. Spectators, some of whom appeared to be almost bemused by the protest against the elderly, Nixon-era figure over events that took place more than 40-years ago, recorded the scene on phones and iPads. At one point, 94-year-old former Secretary of State, George Schultz rose from his chair to yell, “Shut up!” McCain asked, “Can someone find out where the capitol police are?”

About two minutes into the demonstration, a single capitol police officer arrived and tried to lead the protestors from the committee room, as McCain addressed the room saying, “I have never seen anything as disgraceful and outrageous and despicable as the last demonstration that just took place.” As one of the protestors began shouting at him, McCain said, “You know, if you don’t shut up, I’m going to have you arrested,” again calling for the capitol police. After another outburst, the senator responded: “Get out of here, you low-life scum,” which was met with applause.

McCain and Kissinger share an ironic connection that McCain drew upon in remarks after the protestors were removed. McCain was seriously wounded when he was shot down over Vietnam in 1967. He was captured, denied medical treatment, and subjected to torture, including two-years of solitary confinement in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” at the same time Kissinger, as Nixon’s Secretary of State was engaged in peace talks with North Vietnam.

McCain recalled that North Vietnamese leadership told Kissinger he could take McCain, the son of a four-star Navy admiral, home early before POWs who had been imprisoned longer than McCain. Kissinger refused, insisting that the American prisoners were to be released in the same order as they had been captured. At Thursday’s hearing, McCain thanked Kissinger for saving his honor.

Dr. Kissinger grew up in New York after his family fled Nazi Germany, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen at 20 when he served with the Army. His fluency in German and his marked accent were valuable assets, and he was assigned to military intelligence where he volunteered for hazardous duty during the Battle of the Bulge. He won the Bronze Star for his work tracking down members of the Gestapo. Kissinger earned his PhD. at Harvard where he taught international relations until he became involved in politics in advisory capacities.

In addition to serving as President Nixon’s National Security Advisor, he was Secretary of State to both Nixon and, after Nixon’s 1974 resignation, to President Ford winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his efforts to bring the Vietnam War to an end. He was instrumental in the détente that led to improved U.S. relations with both China and the U.S.S.R.

In 1976, Dr. Kissinger became the first honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters.