The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Poor People’s Campaign co-chair the Rev. William Barber II were reportedly arrested in Washington D.C. yesterday.
They, along with several other civil rights activists were arrested outside the U.S. Senate. It looks like this angry group of protesters was looking to shame West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D) and others for not seeking to break the filibuster and help Joe Biden push his “voting rights” act.
ReligionNews.com reported in part about Paster Barber:
Shortly before his arrest for blocking the street, Barber stood in the middle of Constitution Avenue as hundreds of demonstrators marched behind him along the sidewalk outside the Hart Senate Office Building. As police began to encircle Barber and others huddled behind a banner that read “Manchin, stop hurting West Virginia: Stop the filibuster,” the pastor explained he was willing to be arrested to protect voting rights.
“It took this to win it, it’s going to take this to keep it,” Barber said.
One woman tweeted a video that appears to show both Jackson and Barber being hauled away by Capitol Police:
“Went to visit a friend at the Capitol & walk into the #PoorPeoplesCampaign protest over the #FILIBUSTER. Next thing I know, Rev. Jesse Jackson & Pastor Dr. William Barber II are getting arrested!”
Went to visit a friend at the Capitol & walk into the #PoorPeoplesCampaign protest over the #FILIBUSTER. Next thing I know, Rev. Jesse Jackson & Pastor Dr. William Barber II are getting arrested! pic.twitter.com/x6YRw2IUCI
— Shardé M. Davis, Ph.D. (@DrShardeDavis) June 23, 2021
It was also reported:
Jackson, nearby, signaled his own readiness to be detained earlier in the day, saying “we come not as an insurrection group, but as a resurrection group” and “today we must fill up the jails,” before adding “if you call yourself a child of God, you oughta act like it sometimes.”
Shortly thereafter, police led Barber and a dozen other demonstrators away — including Jackson, 79, who was assisted by his son and another demonstrator.
The demonstrations leading up to the high profile arrests were going on for around two hours. More details below:
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