Eight House Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel, were arrested Tuesday during a rally supporting immigration reform.
“My colleagues and I are not afraid to get arrested for what we believe is important to move America forward,” Rangel tweeted on his arrest, Black Legal Issues reported.
In an act of civil disobedience, the congressmen and approximately 200 immigration activists and demonstrators were arrested by U.S. Capitol Police around 4 p.m. for blocking and refusing to move off the streets near the Capitol.
Despite the government shutdown that closed the National Mall, the “Camino Americano: March for Dignity and Respect” went on as planned earlier in the day.
According to NBC News Washington, the members of Congress arrested were:
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Rep. Raul Grivjalva (D-Ariz.), Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).
Bystanders chanted, “Yes we can!” and “Si Se Puede!” as the activists volunteered to be arrested, Breitbart News reported.
Breitbart also noted that U.S. Capitol police, who aren’t being paid during the shutdown, were cleaning up the “littered signs, papers, flyers, and other materials” discarded by the pro-amnesty, immigration rights activists.
“The enthusiastic demonstration of support for immigration reform this week has proven to Congress that the broad coalition behind commonsense solutions to our nation’s broken immigration laws is as strong as it has ever been,” Press Secretary Jay Carney wrote in statement of support obtained by CNN. “It is time for House Republicans to put politics aside and join Democrats to fix our broken immigration system and make the economy stronger.”
Nancy Pelosi addressed the crowd at the rally held earlier in the day.
According to Black Legal Issues:
“I thank you for subscribing to the idea: Don’t agonize, organize,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told the crowd. “Let us act without further delay, let’s get a vote on the Floor…because the time for immigration reform is now.”
“Si se puede,” she yelled — “Yes we can.”
Watch Rangel get arrested here via CNN:
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