Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D (NY-16) was arrested alongside at least 20 others, including faith leaders and youth who have been hunger striking for our democracy, outside the U.S. Capitol Building on Thursday during a protest over voting rights.
“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,” Marcus Frias, Director of Communications for Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D (NY-16) shared with Black Westchester. “We will provide more information and updates as we gather them.”
The demonstration comes hours after Democrats failed to change Senate rules in order to pass voting rights legislation ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
US Capitol Police said in a tweet that before noon Thursday, “demonstrators started blocking one side of the North Barricade outside the US Capitol,” adding that officers started making arrests after issuing three warnings to the protesters.
The department said it had arrested more than two dozen people in connection to the protest.
Bowman’s colleagues in the House Progressive Caucus took to Twitter in support of his activism, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib tweeted she “stand with” him and Congressman Chuy García cheered him for being “arrested while fighting for the voting rights of millions.”
As @JamaalBowmanNY engages and thanks a group of of us fighting for voting rights outside the Capitol, @CapitolPolice cuff him and put him under arrest with the group. Thanks for always standing with the people! #VotingRightsNow @LetsUnpac @peoplefor pic.twitter.com/Py2YHNAMUL
— Markus Batchelor (@MarkusforDC) January 20, 2022
BREAKING: Young people on #HungerStrike4Democracy and activists are risking arrest in front of the Capitol RIGHT NOW condemning the Senate for failing to pass the #FreedomToVote John Lewis Act! pic.twitter.com/xi7FQLbMGu
— Un-PAC (@LetsUnpac) January 20, 2022
At time of publishing Congressman Bowman’s office informed Black Westchester that, “the Congressman has been released.”
3 comments
Thank Congressman Bowman for your sacrifice towards equal justice in voting rights.
It’s starting again!! When Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for the same reason!! How many of us are willing to stand up and do the same for our rights as Human Beings!!
unfortunately, I think we are about to find out
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