More than a dozen members of Congress were among those arrested by Capitol Police on Tuesday afternoon as part of an abortion rights protest in front of the Supreme Court.
Wearing specially made green bandanas with “Won’t Back Down,” they marched from The Capitol to the highest court in America. Which has been fenced off for weeks since shortly after the leak of the draft decision overturning Roe v Wade!
Within two minutes of their arrival, police began ordering them to "cease and desist." Instead, they sat on the street, and were one by one led off by officers as they chanted, "The people, united, will never be divided."
The lawmakers were protesting the overturning of the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
"We got arrested for doing what's right, for what's humane," said Ocasio-Cortez after her arrest. “This is how you fight back and take a stand against the erosion of women’s rights, stop the wholesale theft of reproductive choice, and birth control coverage.” And being free to travel for medical treatment without the threat of arrest.
"Stand with us as we say: not one step back!" Rep. Ayanna Pressley tweeted before she was arrested.
The group of lawmakers arrested included:
· Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts
· Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
· Barbara Lee of California
· Jackie Speier of California
· Sara Jacobs of California
· Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
· Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey
· Andy Levin of Michigan
· Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
· Jan Schakowsky of Illinois
· Madeline Dean of Pennsylvania
· Cori Bush of Missouri
· Carolyn Maloney of New York
· Nydia Velazquez of New York
· Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
· Alma Adams of North Carolina
This is a developing story...