At least 400 people have been arrested in Washington, DC after the Democracy Spring march and sit-in at the US Capitol building. Protesters focused their demands on creating fairer elections and politics that are unmarred by corporations’ big bucks.
Estimated 500 activists #DemocracySpring arrested outside the US Capitol in #DC today pic.twitter.com/ESLG2hv6nV
— Paulina Leonovich (@Polly_evro) April 11, 2016
The Democracy Spring movement is calling on Congress to take immediate action on four key solutions, all of which aim to reduce the influence of money in politics, expand and protect voting rights, and ensure all Americans have an equal voice in the US government. The group is also demanding that the Senate fulfill its constitutional duties with regard to the Supreme Court.
Police are saying we hit the record for most people ever arrested at the US Capitol #DemocracySpring pic.twitter.com/xEswXXLn9e
— Brian Schepis (@skepys) April 11, 2016
Monday’s sit-in called for mass arrests on the steps of the US Capitol.
“People are fed up with the system, they are fed up with the corruption, and we want free and fair elections,” Cenk Uygur, host of the TV show Young Turks and one of the participants in the protest, told RT. “This is our core American right.”
Uygur and other prominent activists, like retired Police Captain Ray Lewis, were taken into custody.
https://twitter.com/CassandraRules/status/719628982665261058
Despite the large attendance at the demonstration, mainstream media was notably absent.
These people are making history and there is no mainstream press here #DemocracySpring
— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) April 11, 2016
Government by the People and Fair Elections Now Acts
These two proposed bills are designed to get money out of politics. The Government By the People Act is designed to increase the power of the small contributions, while the Fair Elections Now Act would provide for public funding for candidates.
Last batch of #DemocracySpring activists awaiting to be arrested, sit-in 3.5 hours on pic.twitter.com/pUBJjtURee
— Paulina Leonovich (@Polly_evro) April 11, 2016
“What we see now is not a democracy, it’s become an oligarchy,” Holly Mosher, producer for the ‘Pay 2 Play’ documentary, told RT. “It’s time to clean up Congress.”
“Let’s get together, let’s clean this up, let’s make some solutions. Corporations are not people, money is not speech,” she added.
Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015
This bill, which was introduced last June, would update the gutted Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as protect voters from a slew of state laws designed to restrict access to the polls.
Voter Empowerment Act of 2015
Introduced in March 2015, this bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to increase public access to voter registration and make it easier for people to vote. It also introduces penalties for anyone, including election officials, from preventing a person from voting.
“The enthusiastic public response to Democracy Spring demonstrates Americans’ deep frustration with a political system they no longer feel hears their voices. Democracy Spring will turn widespread frustration into a powerful force to fulfill our country’s promise of government of, by, and for the people,” Democracy Spring lead organizer Kai Newkirk said in a statement.
Democracy for All Amendment
This proposed constitutional amendment “ends the big money dominance of our elections and allows for Congress and the States to set overall limits on campaign spending, including prohibitions on corporate and union spending in the political process,” basically overturning the Supreme Court’s decision in the infamous Citizens United case.
“We’re here to make some noise, to get the media, because this is the most underreported movement in America,”Mosher said. “Sixteen state legislatures have already called to overturn Citizens United, and we need to protect the right to vote.”
Lemmie tell you something. You can’t talk about how this country is ruled, and by whom, without remembering the HUGE amount of money and power that’s at stake here, which acts as a magnet for the county’s sickest, and most ruthless bastards.
A gang of idiots staging a sit-in, or any other kind of protest isn’t even going to distract them from their greed for a second. No one would like to see a peaceful solution to our problems more than I, but when you’re realistic about what we’re up against, you have to be realistic about the solutions, too.
These people lay entire nations to waste just to grab what’s under the ground. Do you really think a collection of angry brats on the lawn is going to deter them in the least?
Their only concern with these protesters is how to crush them without creating more angry Americans. If not for that political concern, they’d mow ’em down with a machine gun in a heartbeat.
All true, JR. I sympathize with the protesters’ anger at the US system of legalized bribery, but at this point they’re trying to put out a forest fire with squirt guns.
Good luck with that….like they really give a rat’s ass.
“Baaaaah-baaaaah….” bleated the sheep in protest about their imaginary voting exercise.
Animals in the chute at the slaughterhouse are neither muzzled nor have their mouths duct taped because it does nothing to stop what is happening.
“Voting” is reliant on several key factors. All must remain unmolested:
1) The candidates are genuinely competing for the position.
2) They are counted and counted fairly.
3) The fair count is justly applied and the winning candidate is seated.
4) The governing body which counts the votes must not be involved
in programs promoting and actively participating in terrorism,
propaganda, media manipulation, tyranny, censorship, genocide,
national destabilization, food/water control, or any other crimes
against humanity. Taking part in any/all these activities shows a
clear conspiratorial nature of said “governing” body and the results
should never be considered the genuine voice of the People as
any government taking part in those crimes would never leave the
most minor of those crimes, “voter fraud”, an effective means to
defend against them.
The only thing they allow you to do to resist their advances are those that
have no effect. The truth is our primary weapon, for the time being, and
we know it can be useful against them because they make every effort to
suppress it. Make ready to use the other weapons in your arsenal in the
future. “Voting” and protesting are unloaded and nonfunctional.
Oops! Sorry Laura, don’t know how I missed this one.
“The Democracy Spring movement…”
DEMOCRACY???
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