Venue cancels comedy gig by right-wing provocateur who sexually harassed AOC on Capitol steps

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

A Washington DC arts centre cancelled a scheduled comedy performance by far right commentator and troll Alex Stein amid widespread outrage over his harassment of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The DC Arts Center was due to host Stein and Ross Duh Boss on Thursday night, but cancelled the “comedy” event after Stein was subject to condemnation for sexually harassing Ms Ocasio-Cortez earlier this week.

In a statement to The Independent on Friday, the arts centre said it was unable “to provide the level of security we felt would have been necessary to ensure the safety” of the event, so cancelled the gig.

The New York Democrat was walking up the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday when she was approached by Stein, who describes himself as a “professional troll”.

“Here’s AOC, my favourite big booty Latina,” said Stein in a video. “I love you AOC, you’re my favourite. She wants to kill babies but she’s still beautiful, you look very beautiful in that dress, you look very sexy”.

After tweeting endlessly about Ms Ocasio-Cortez amid reports of their encounter, Stein added on Thursday: “Omg AOC got the DC Arts Center to Cancel my Comedy Show tonight!”

The Blaze TV contributor continued. “Full refund for the people that bought Tickets! If you still want to see me perform come to The Capitol tonight at 9:30pm!”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez tweeted following the incident that she “was actually walking over to deck him” and complained that a Capitol Police officer failed to step-in.

“I think the thing that was so crazy about that incident is not even that it happened but that it happened on the Capitol steps right in front of a Capitol police officer and this dude was engaged (in sexual harassment),” she said on Instagram.

“This wasn’t about a political opinion or protest or anything like that, he was engaged in very clearly sexually threatening aggressive behaviour right in front of a Capitol police officer, he wasn’t even asked to take a step back,” she said.

In a statement to The Independent, the US Capitol Police said as there was no criminal act committed by Stein, whose actions toward Ms Ocasio-Cortez were described as being “inappropriate”, there would be no charges brought.

“Last night, a man outside the US Capitol Building recorded a video of himself making crude comments to a Member of Congress,” the police department said. “The comments, although inappropriate, are not criminal.”

“In the video, the man never threatened or touched the Congresswoman. Out of an abundance of caution, our officers stopped the man and ran his information, which did not show any warrants.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez added to reporters on Thursday that the incident was indicative of the fact that Congress “is not a place that is designed to protect women. It’s not a place ... designed to protect LGBT people”, and pointed to the conduct of some Capitol Police officers on January 6, 2021.

At least six individuals were suspended for misconduct as the Capitol came under attack by pro-Trump rioters on that day. Claims that officers helped those breaking into the building remain disputed.

In a statement to The Independent, the DC Arts Center said: “The DC Arts Center’s primary concern is the safety of our staff, artists, patrons, community, and artwork.”

“In light of recent events brought to our attention and our inability as a small non-profit to provide the level of security we felt would have been necessary to ensure the safety of both the individuals and the art inside and outside of our venue, we made the decision to cancel last night’s performance.”

The cancellation was first reported by online news outlet Latino Rebels.