Congresswomen Madeleine Dean, Bonnie Watson Coleman Arrested Among Other Congressmembers At Abortion Rights Protest
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNN) -- More than a dozen Democratic 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 Court, 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 US Capitol Police tweeted: "Demonstrators are starting to block First Street, NE. It is against the law to block traffic, so officers are going to give our standard three warnings before they start making arrests."
Capitol Police later said they had arrested 34 people total, including 16 members of Congress.
Among those arrested:
- 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
- Madeleine 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
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