Capitol police rounded up more than 400 people on charges of "crowding, obstructing and incommoding." Some of them had marched all the way from Philadelphia to demonstrate in Washington D.C.
The protest was cheery and peaceful. Police blockaded the marble staircase with a chain and a cordon of officers. Demonstrators sat in front of the chain and on the plaza, talking, chanting, singing and taking pictures as police led them away one by one. Police, badly underestimating the potential crowd, initially brought a single bus to Capitol Plaza to haul the protesters away.
The movement is calling itself Democracy Spring, and more acts of civil disobedience are planned throughout the week.
Here's Democracy Spring's logic, from a Democracy Now! interview with 99Rise organizer Kai Newkirk:
We think that yesterday can be the beginning of the end of this corruption and inequality in our democracy. It was so inspiring to see people come together at the People’s House and say, "We are going to take it back," people from across the political spectrum, many of whom had walked all the way from Philadelphia, from the Liberty Bell, to Washington, D.C., almost 150 people who did that, and, we believe, over 500 people who sat in and sent a message to Congress that we will not accept inaction to save our democracy, and sent a message to anyone who’s running for office in our country that you have to make a decision: Are you going to stand on the side of democracy and on the side of the people or on the side of big money and corruption? And if you choose to defend the status quo of corruption, we believe there’s going to be growing nonviolent resistance in the streets, at the Capitol, at your fundraisers and in the polls, to say, "We will not take it anymore. We demand an equal voice in our democracy." And, yes, it’s right. It’s just the beginning. And we call on people to join us here. We’re going to be back at the Capitol today and tomorrow and the next day.
Anyone in Seattle planning something Democracy Spring related? E-mail me.
This post has been updated.
