Police forces arrested over 400 people Monday in Washington, D.C., as people were peacefully gathered in front of the Capitol to protest against the role of money in politics and to demand voting rights.
At least 10 buses were used to transport the people in handcuffs, while the police announced they « ran out of space » for arrested activists, Ruptly’s Paulina Leonovich reported.
The mass sit-in was part of a series of demonstrations in the U.S. capital organized by various movements like Ralph Nader’s 99% Rise and Public Citizen under the name of “Democracy Spring” – a variation of the “Occupy Wall Street” uprising in 2011.
« Almost every American agrees our democracy is seriously out of whack – that our elections and government are dominated by wealthy special interests. And yet Congress is doing nothing. So today we say no more,” lead organizer Kai Newkirk said in a statement.
People chanted slogans like “one person, one vote” and “money out of politics” and held signs reading « Things go better without Koch, » referring to the billionaire businessmen David and Charles Koch, who have promised to lead an almost US$900 million campaign to back favored candidates this election cycle, reported ABC News.
They want to overturn the Citizens United decision that allows corporations to spend unlimited sums in elections. They also demanded to restore a provision of the Voting Rights Act removed by the Supreme Court that required federal approval of changes to voting procedures in certain states.
This content was originally published by teleSUR.