85 arrested on 2nd day of Democracy Spring protest at US Capitol
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of protesters have come from coast to coast to gather on Capitol Hill for a second straight day to demonstrate on a host of issues that include getting money out of politics and demanding that the Senate take action to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
Capitol police said around 85 people were arrested Tuesday for unlawful demonstration activity.
Democracy Spring protesters spent their second day at the U.S. Capitol protesting what they call big-money political corruption in Congress. Each day, the protesters will focus on different issues. On Tuesday, the group focused reclaiming Democracy for elders.
"Tomorrow is going be a day focusing on racial justice and centering black lives within this movement and this country and the fight for Democracy," said Kai Newkirk, the lead organizer for Democracy Spring. "On Thursday, it will be a labor and worker-focused day. On Friday, youth students as well as making the connection with the struggle for equal representation in D.C. On Saturday, a climate and environmental movement-focused day.
"But all of these days are about lifting up this common struggle that we have to win a government that works for us all and not just for the billionaire class, not just for the 1 percent. To change the way our elections work."
According to Newkirk, this protest event has been the largest civil disobedience in the history of the U.S. Capitol.
Tuesday's protest was peaceful for the most part with protesters explaining that removing what the group calls corruption and money from politics is a non-partisan issue - one that affects all of us and needs resolution.
On Monday, police said over 400 protestors were arrested. We spoke with one woman who had been released after her arrest.
"Our message is definitely getting out," said Noel Marshall. "The energy and the consciousness are building because it has to. We cannot go this way. We can't go farther."
The Democracy Spring sit-in will continue through April 16.