Five Members Of Congress Arrested Protesting Outside Sudanese Embassy (VIDEO)

Five members of Congress and two Darfur activists had themselves arrested Monday outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C., to draw attention to the continuing humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Uniformed Secret Service officers put plastic handcuffs on Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), John Lewis (D-Ga.), Donna Edwards (D-Md.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), and Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), along with Save Darfur Coalition president Jerry Fowler and Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast after the group stepped behind yellow police tape in front of the embassy.

Before being taken into custody, each of the arrestees addressed a small crowd of reporters and other activists who had been tipped off about the event. Each speaker called on the Obama administration to do more to stop the conflict in Sudan.

"Almost a half a million people have been killed," said Rep. Lewis before crossing the line. "This terror, this violence must end and it must end soon."

After their statements, the gang lifted up the police tape and waited patiently (and quietly) for the police to arrest them. An officer issued three warnings before the cuffs came out. Officers frisked each of the lawbreakers and went through their pockets before stuffing them in a paddywagon and a cruiser.

The group met Monday morning at the Religious Action Center before marching the short distance to the embassy. As they went over their plan, some of the members put their wallets and other personal belongings into plastic bags. Ellison took the extra step of removing his shoelaces. The Huffington Post asked Ellison if he'd been arrested before.

"Not on something like this," he said.

The protesters had hired criminal defense attorney Laura Rhodes to get them out from behind bars. Rhodes seemed pretty confident in her game.

"For those of you anxious about going to jail, I've gotten people out who've killed people," she said.

UPDATE: Also arrested: Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of
Reform Judaism.

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Comments

[mazzetta]

in Europe a congressman couldn't ever be arrested for a quiet protest (nor average citizens) that doesn't disrupt a service or damage a property, i think it's unfair as many US' limitations on the right to protest for american people

anyway, Darfur's problems are slightly more complicated than the image shown by deputies and journalists in America, you have to think that they try to explain the mess that involves more than 10 countries with a simplified version in which the bad guys are just Sudanese and China, while at Darfur's border there are 2 countries producing -now- thousands refugees: Chad and CAR, where France is military sustaining 2 bloody dictatorships against their people.

I guess here around few have heard about Chadian Deby and his long struggle against Sudan government, his financing "islamic Sudanese extremists" and the long history of Kaddafi interventions in the area, that of Egypt and other powers.

Little attention is given also to the fact that China gets around 50% of Sudan's oil, nobody ever cites BP (in joint venture with China's firm) or Total or others earning from it, guess why..

Little attention also to the main Sudanese issue, the next referendum in which South Sudan could decide to split the country, many people nor know that a UN peacekeeping force has been in later years in Karthoum to protect the agreement that ended a 20 years war, but someone has been around asking an intervention while "our" (european) soldiers were protecting Sudan's capital

[proudliberal4truth]

This story should be national headlines and kudos to these members of congress for taking an important stand. Kind of reminds me of the 60's!

[VikingQuest]

Great . . . .

I am from Minnesota and like Keith but this is stupidity at its finest.

Congresspeople can have their voices heard, they would be much better served with their message by actually using their power to do something and spread the word through their media access.

[Morocco]

Congresspeople being arrested makes the news and highlight the Darfurian cause.

[24kgold]

Right!

[binarystar]

How can you call a peaceful protest stupidity at it's finest?

"...they would be much better served with their message by actually using their power to do something and spread the word through their media access."

It doesn't occur to you that that is exactly what they did?

[Lark817]

What has Ellison been arrested for besides this? I see he's from Minnesota, so I guess it could be for anything. Good for them. Had we known, more of us could have been there.

[vote-obama]

"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"...on our way to world peace we must do what we can to save Darfur and we must do it NOW. please, in the name of all that is kind and good in the world stop the genocide NOW. every little bit helps. visit www.savedarfur.org to see how you can help.

[tjoy]

I applaud them for their courageousness though I wish that this story was being covered not because of attention received by the arrest of these representative. The death of the many Sudanese should already be headlines enough.

[sf girl]

Bravo! It warms my heart to see that not all members of Congress are just out for themselves.

[Agent420]

Laura Rhodes bragging about getting murderers free. What kind of lawyer is that? No wonder lawyers are hated so much.

I will have to admit that things are tough for lawyers these days. They have been spotted in the wild with their hands in their 'own' pockets.

[aercolini]

Say that when you need a lawyer. What an ignorant statement. Everyone is entitled to a defense. Not just a defense, but the best defense a lawyer is capable of mounting especially people being charged with something as serious as murder. The majority of people charged with murder are indigent defendants, mostly poor minorities. Many are have with severe physcological problems, meaning their usually crazy. Go read the Federalist Papers, or just the Constitution itself. We have an adversarial system in place designed by the Founders, most of whom were lawyers.

[DorightWoman]

Bravo. I am very glad there are members of Congress, who are trying to keep this issue in the forefront and trying to do something about it. I just wonder where my Illinois congresspeople are and why we weren't represented in this protest. tsk tsk.

[Cambridge9]

Anytime Rep. John Lewis puts is name to something you can bet your bottom dollar it's because someone, somewhere is being oppressed.

As for Rep. Ellison I have every respect for this man. The fact that he took his oath of office on HIS Quran instead of OUR Bible meant that he believed in the oath he was taking - and he has been an outstanding member of Congress.

All of these Representatives deserve our Kudos for being pointed in their concerns and civil in their protest.

[Reader451]

The Koran he swore on actually belonged to Thomas Jefferson. I am aware you meant 'the book he respects and honors most,' just as you meant the one 'you personally honor most' when you said "OUR"

But isn't it interesting, that because it was Thomas Jefferson's and because it is now the property of the United States, that Koran is now OURS too.

[faretheewell]

THanks for that info. I didn't know any of that.

[Cambridge9]

Thanks for making my point better than I did. As a matter of fact I'm agnostic but "yes, I did mean the book he respects rather than the one that is accepted as official in the congress and the courts."

I wasn't aware that Thomas Jefferson owned a Quran - but it doesn't surprise me. Thanks for the info.

[courtb]

Wonderful.­..especial­ly after following Holocaust Memorial Day, how can we sit back and continue to remain quiet about this tragedy?

[Yigermal Tariku]

I fully support the cause and applaude these congressmen putting themselves online. But in contrast , Isnt it the US Governments directly supporting the Ethiopian Regime to inflict humanitarian crisis in Somalia. I dont get it ! No wonder America is suffering the worldwide "appreciation" for the can of oil / bread dropping from air!

[ObamAtomic]

To impeach judge Baybee Drafted of the torture memo

http://www.petitiononline.com/MpeachJB/petition.html

[Tsei Eyeoyibo]

Teabaggers, this is what you do if you are really serious about your cause.

[Tracy Hale]

Nice!

[tjoy]

This is what their representative should have done.

[pgurlatl]

I agree wholeheartedly.

[JKPHILLY]

Well said!

[Lark817]

Nope, part of personal responsibility is screw everyone else in their minds.

[lungfish]

This is good, do more. The Sudanese gov is complicit in these crimes.... keep the pressure on them.