As dozens of their colleagues boycotted President Trump’s State of the Union address, several Democratic members of Congress on the House floor Tuesday night made their opposition to the president’s remarks clear.

Congressman Al Green was ejected from the speech almost immediately, making him excluded from the annual speech for the second year in a row. The Texas House of Representatives’ protest was quiet but sharp this year after House Speaker Mike Johnson was ordered ejected during a speech last year for yelling back at the president during his remarks.

As President Trump began his speech and other attendees took their seats, Greene remained in the center aisle brandishing a sign that read, “Black people are not monkeys!” He continued to hold up the sign, a reference to the US president who shared a racist video of Barack and Michelle Obama, as he was escorted from the room, despite attempts by several Republican members to grab it or keep him from being seen on camera.

Representative Troy Neals, also of Texas, was seen aggressively talking to Greene as she passed, just before his staff escorted the Democrat to the door. Sen. Markwayne Mullin also approached Greene in a threatening manner.

As Greene left the chamber clutching a cane and a protest sign, there was a testy exchange with Republicans, some of whom began chanting “America! America!”

Green’s seat remained empty except for a handwritten cardboard sign that read “Al Green.”

Greene is one of Trump’s top critics and was the first member of Congress to call for Trump’s impeachment as early as 2017. He also represents a majority African-American district and has long fought for civil rights.

Greene says second removal ‘wasn’t important’ spoke to reporters outside He was still in the chamber, holding up a sign for the cameras to see. He said there is nothing stopping him from doing what he believes is right. “We must stand firm,” he added. “I’m just the guy who did it, but I’m sure there are a lot of other people who do it.”

Greene wasn’t the only one to protest against the president. Democrats spent much of the speech sitting solemnly, while their Republican colleagues stood and applauded at the end of nearly every word Trump spoke.

Several Democrats left their seats early. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, posted on the social media network Blue Sky that he “couldn’t stand watching President Trump lie for an hour” and left his seat while the president exaggerated his economic achievements. Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois told X that before he left, he told himself “five damn lies” just as he did last year. “Less than an hour into the speech, I will be leaving,” he wrote.

As President Trump commented on his immigration enforcement agenda, receiving a standing ovation from Republicans and scolding Democrats for not joining him in calling on Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security, Congressman Rashida Tlaib, holding a pin that read “Free the Files,” could be heard shouting back about the murder of Alex Preti, a Minneapolis nurse who was shot and killed by federal agents.

“They saw the video, Mr. President,” she shouted. “They saw the video.”

When President Trump told Democrats they should be ashamed, Rep. Ilhan Omar yelled, “You should be ashamed,” and repeatedly yelled, “You killed Americans.”

Omar and Tlaib were also seen leaving the House together before the end of their speeches.