Around 60 demonstrators were taken into custody on Friday outside the US Capitol after crossing a police barrier of bike racks and moving towards the stairs leading to the Capitol Rotunda as reported by Capitol Police.

Organizers stated that the assembly, consisting of veterans and family members of military personnel, had intended to stage a sit-in on the Capitol steps in opposition to President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard and active-duty Marines in Los Angeles in response to anti-ICE demonstrations, along with a military procession planned for Saturday.

The parade on Saturday also comes on Trump’s 79th birthday.

Earlier in the week, the president declared that individuals participating in the parade protests would face a “severe response,” yet White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified afterward that Trump is in favor of peaceful demonstrations.

A group of about 75 protesters were demonstrating peacefully Friday night at the Supreme Court, just across the street from the Capitol, according to a statement from Capitol Police.

A short time later, about 60 people began to leave the area, so officers began establishing a perimeter using bike racks to keep the protesters away from the Capitol.

“A few people pushed the bike rack down and illegally crossed the police line while running towards the Rotunda Steps,” Capitol Police said in its statement. “Our officers immediately blocked the group and began making arrests.”

Officers then began arresting the roughly 60 demonstrators.

All the arrested protesters will be charged with unlawful demonstration and crossing a police line, while some will face additional charges, including assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

Two arrestees were transported to a local hospital for further treatment.

The protest was organized by two advocacy groups, About Face: Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace.

“We want a future where we invest in care for veterans, in health care, and in education, not where we spend $50 million on a parade,” Brittany Ramos DeBarros, an Army combat veteran and Organizing Director of About Face: Veterans Against the War, said in a statement to WJLA.

The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday despite expected rain, with as many as 200,000 people expected to attend various events around the Capitol in addition to the military parade, which is estimated to cost around $45 million and will feature soldiers and military equipment, including tanks and airplanes.