Arrests Made Near Senate Building as Protesters Demand Voting Rights

Protesters demanding an end to the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation were arrested outside the U.S. Senate building on Monday.

U.S. Capitol Police began apprehending demonstrators shortly after 1:30 p.m., according to WJLA reporter Sam Ford. Ford wrote on Twitter that civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson was among those arrested.

Rev. William Barber II posted a photo to Twitter stating that he was also arrested. Barber wrote at 2:10 p.m. that arrests were still happening outside the Hart Senate Office Building.

Some photographs posted to Twitter showed long lines of people waiting to be arrested by law enforcement officers from the United States Capitol Police (USCP).

"We're out here in Washington, D.C., today to call on Sen. Manchin, Sen. Sinema, and others to say: Which side are you on? Get on the justice side! Get on the freedom side! Get on the side of voting rights & economic justice! This is your moment," Barber wrote in one social media post.

The protest, led by low-wage workers and faith leaders, was organized by the Poor People's Campaign as part of its "season of nonviolent moral direct action."

The group is demanding the Senate and the White House eliminate the filibuster, pass all provisions of the For the People Act, fully restore the 1965 Voting Rights Act and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

The protest coincided with the arrival of more than 100 state legislators who are joining Texas Democrats in Washington D.C. to lobby for the passage of voting rights legislation. The lawmakers from nearly 30 states are calling on the Senate to skip its summer recess and immediately pass the For the People Act.

The White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reaffirmed their commitment last week to "advancing legislation reflecting the priorities and values" of the For the People Act as well as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

House Democrats are expected to soon unveil a new version of legislation named after the late civil rights icon John Lewis. The lower chamber passed the For the People Act in March, but the sweeping, 800-page elections bill has yet to be taken up for a vote in the Senate.

Rev. Liz Theoharis, a co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, wrote on Twitter she was "proud" to be arrested along with Barber and Jackson. Barber is also a co-chair of the civil rights group.

The Poor People's Campaign tweeted Monday that "hundreds of others" were arrested during the protest.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Capitol Police for additional information on the arrests but didn't receive a response before publication.