Progressive religious leaders and activists Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. William Barber II were arrested during a nonviolent protest over the filibuster and the minimum wage at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday.
Capitol Police confirmed to Law&Crime that Jackson and Barber were among 21 people arrested near the Supreme Court for crowding and obstruction during a Poor People’s Campaign demonstration.
The group’s “National Call for Moral Revival” called for a “moral march on Machin and McConnell in Washington” and was aimed at protesting Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for their positions on the minimum wage, the filibuster, and the senators’ positions on the For the People Act.
“The mission of the demonstration was to protest Senators Joe Manchin and Mitch McConnell for their failure to vote for the $15 minimum wage, and also their opposition to the For the People Act,” D.C. Fox affiliate WTTG-TV reported.
Video from the event shows Capitol Police warning the demonstrators to cease and desist or face being arrested. Video also shows Jackson, Barber, and others being led to police vehicles after being arrested.
It’s unclear whether the arrestees were detained, and if so, for how long. Barber appeared on CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time Wednesday night to discuss the Poor People’s Campaign’s efforts.
Poor People’s Campaign told Law&Crime that the people who were arrested were not detained.
The high-profile activists were arrested for crowding and obstruction, the Capitol Police said. Their arrests have not yet appeared on a Washington, D.C. Superior Court docket as of the time of this writing. It’s unclear if they were merely arrested and released or whether they were even charged.
[Image via screengrab/News2Share/YouTube]
Note: This story has been updated to include comment from Poor People’s Campaign.
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