‘Dancing With The Stars’ Footage Shows Security Take Down Of Ryan Lochte Protesters

It’s no secret that fans of Dancing with the Stars weren’t happy with the news that Ryan Lochte would be performing on the dance competition series following his actions in Brazil. Controversy has followed Lochte since the Olympic swimmer allegedly exaggerated stories about having been detained by police and having had money extorted from him and his teammates.

Even with the animosity Ryan has earned over the incident, it couldn’t have been predicted that audience members on the Dancing with the Stars set would rush the stage in an effort to protest Lochte’s appearance on the show.

New Dancing With The Stars Footage Shows The Security Take Down Of Ryan Lochte Protesters

The Los Angeles Times reports that ABC has released footage showing two protesters rushing the stage in an attempt to negatively impact Ryan Lochte’s Monday night performance on Dancing with the Stars. The protesters were seen wearing T-shirts described as presenting “anti-Lochte” sentiments. The incident was quickly thwarted by security officers. As the two protesters rushed the stage, officers tackled one, while the other protester was approached by DWTS security personnel.

“You’re a liar” was heard shouted in the studio as the incident was curtailed by the security officers.

“By the time I saw the two guys coming with their T-shirts, our security team had them sucking floor,” host Tom Bergeron said.

WATCH: "Get out!" – @DancingABC's @derekhough confronts additional protesters to leave audience area. https://t.co/9s0VUAyJVG

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 13, 2016

The Dancing with the Stars host said it took him some time to recognize the danger posed by the two men rushing the stage because the audience can get loud and a little rowdy during the judging process. Bergeron adds that it was only Carrie Ann Inaba’s terrified expression that brought his attention to what was really happening.

“The mood in the room was definitely in Ryan’s corner after these guys were escorted out,” Bergeron said.

Dancing With The Stars Contestants Support Ryan Lochte Following Thwarted Attack

In spite of what has happened in Brazil, E! News reveals that Lochte’s DWTS co-stars exhibited forgiveness and appreciation for Ryan following the violent incident. One of the first to step up in support of Ryan was Vanilla Ice, who called Lochte an “American Hero” and advised the audience and public not to lend any credence to haters.

Texas governor Rick Perry also condemned the Dancing with the Stars protesters, saying that a variety show was not the appropriate venue for a protest.

“Don’t come and disrupt a really fun time for America,” Perry said. “This isn’t a place to bring your politics; this isn’t a place to bring anything other than your joy of living and joy of dancing.”

Amber Rose also added her own thoughts, saying that Ryan didn’t deserve to have his performance disrupted in that way. She said Lochte deserved a fair chance to compete on Dancing with the Stars without political protests unduly influencing the opinions of the audience and judges.

Country singer Jana Kramer added that she’s found Lochte to be a very nice person and objected to the way the protesters and much of the public still holds his past behavior against him.

“I just want America to see the Ryan that we’ve gotten to know, because he’s a really, really good dude. We all make mistakes.”

Following the incident, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department took the two men into custody, identified as Barzeen Soroudi, 25, and Sam Sotoodeh, 59. The men were arrested at the Dancing with the Stars studio for trespassing at CBS studios, which is where the ABC series is filmed.

Both Ryan Lochte and his dance partner, Cheryl Burke, were unharmed in the incident.

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays on ABC.

[Image by ABC]