According to his office, Capitol Police detained Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D.New York), after he participated in a demonstration for voting rights at Capitol.
“Today, Congressman Jamaal Bowman joined a voting rights non-violent direct action at the North Barricade of the U.S. Capitol Building and was arrested by the U.S. Capitol Police,” said Marcus Frias, Bowman’s director of communications. “We will provide more information and updates as we gather them.”
Police say that protestors blocked one side of a barricade. The police claim that they have arrested over two dozenPeople in relation the protest. Un-PAC, which is the organizer of the protest, said that many of those arrested are youngProtesters and that police have arrested them before for similar demonstrations.
As @JamaalBowmanNYEngages and thanks a group fighting for voting rights outside of the Capitol @CapitolPoliceYou will have to handcuff him and place him under arrest together with the group. Thank you for standing by the people! #VotingRightsNow @LetsUnpac @peoplefor pic.twitter.com/Py2YHNAMUL
— Markus Batchelor (@MarkusforDC) January 20, 2022
Bowman, who is Black had visited protesters on WednesdayBefore a crucial vote, the Senate must amend its rules to pass legislation to expand or protect voting rights. “Our democracy is on the line, and the Senate must act and pass voting rights immediately,” he wrote. “We’re outside the Senate steps sounding the alarm.”
Bowman is just one of many Black Democratic lawmakers who were arrested during demonstrations for voting rights in the past year. Representatives Al Green (Texas), Sheila Jackson Lee(Texas), Hank Johnson, Georgia (Georgia), and Joyce Beatty (Ohio). were arrestedSeparate voting rights protests took place last summer.
Bowman was with the strikers on the eighth and final day of the Hunger Strike 4 Democracy, when he was taken into custody.
“Today’s action was a means of making a statement and taking a stand against political corruption. Despite 52 of our senators standing aside as our democracy crumbles, we will not,” Shana Gallagher, executive director of Un-PAC, told Truthout.
“Young people don’t have a choice but to keep organizing to fix our broken democracy by getting big money out of politics, banning partisan gerrymandering, and protecting our freedom to vote,” Gallagher continued. “We will remember which side of history our Senators stood on, and which of them worked to deliver for their constituents, rather than for their ultra-wealthy mega donors and special interests.”
Twenty-eight protesters for voting rights were arrestedThis week, earlier.
This is the second hunger strike to vote rights by Un-PAC demonstrators. Last month, the Hunger Strike 4 Democracy demonstrations traveled from PhoenixAfter striking in front the capitol building of their state, they were unsuccessfully directed to Washington. The group, which included university students, expressed frustration at Congress’s failure to provide voting rights. Their first hunger strike lasted for 15 days. was extremely taxingFor the protesters.
The strike aims to force Congress to pass Freedom to Vote Act. The bill would change the current election laws. making voting more accessibleAll across the country, mail-in ballot expansions were implemented. They also allow for automatic voter registration and increased transparency in campaign finance. The legislation was being considered by lawmakers as a filibuster solution. However, Senators Joe Manchin (West Virginia), and Kyrsten Sinema(Arizona), conservative Democrats, joined Republicans to block the effort on Wednesday night.
“My question for Senator Manchin is: what is it going to take for you to actually represent your constituents?” said hunger striker and West Virginia University student Rylee Haught in a statement. “[W]We are determined to end corruption and build a functional democracy that is accountable. Senator Manchin, yesterday, you failed to deliver this. As our democracy collapses, you are standing by. I will not give up on West Virginia like you did.”
