Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:58 pm
A day after 400 protesters were arrested during a sit-in at the US Capitol that called for a restoration of the Voting Rights Act and an end to money in politics, elder Americans some of whom participated in the civil rights movement will be joining the protest today.
Video of Monday’s protest by John Zangas of Revolution News:
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According to Democracy Spring organizers:
As many as 3,000 marchers from almost all 50 states, some of whom came on foot over 10 days from Philadelphia’s Liberty Hall, staged sit-in demonstrations at the US Capitol Monday, protesting the failure of Congress to restrict big money in politics and protect voting rights. They will be back today, joined by dozens of older Americans who are willing to risk arrest to get the attention of legislators and demand a more democratic future for their children and grandchildren.
U.S. Capitol Police yesterday said they arrested and processed more than 400 demonstrators yesterday, with more being processed into the night and some not being released until this morning. Outnumbered, police were slow to move in and make arrests and then could only process a few of the demonstrators at a time. They called the number of non-violent demonstrators “unprecedented.†Protesters’ spirits were high and there were no incidents.
Thousands of Americans protesting in the US Capitol for voting rights and to get the billionaire dollars out of our politics is the stuff of Republican nightmares. The success of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign has demonstrated that millions of Americans aren’t being fooled.
The American people have seen the behavior of a Republican controlled Congress that has openly ignored the will of the majority of the country while doing the bidding of their billionaire donors.
What thousands of people are protesting in Washington, D.C. is a two-pronged Republican attack on democracy. Conservatives are trying to make the electorate smaller through voter suppression while at the same time allowing billionaires to buy the federal government through Citizens United dark money.
Our elder Americans have seen the theft of voting rights before, which is why they are joining the fight to stop history from repeating itself. “I’m doing this because I care enough about the kind of country we’re leaving for them. I want them to have a chance to have a full say in it,†said Lynne Iser, an activist from Philadelphia who participated in anti-war and civil rights protests in her youth and is now coordinating Elders Standing for Democracy Spring.
The issue of voting right cuts across all demographic lines. Thousands of Americans have walked to the Capitol and are telling Republicans that they know what is going on and they aren’t going to let billionaires and Republican politicians steal the government.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
