Democrat Representative Hank Johnson was arrested at the Capitol on Thursday during a Black Lives Matter protest.
Johnson was arrested outside the Hart Senate Office building while attending Black Lives Matter’s “Brothers Day of Action on Capitol Hill” protest.
Demonstrators were protesting against Republican-led efforts to enact laws that will strengthen the integrity of elections — such as voter ID laws and ending the use of drop boxes for ballots.
The protesters were chanting things like “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! The filibuster has got to go!”
Johnson’s office claimed in a statement to the Washington Post that the congressman was protesting “voter suppression bills and laws throughout the country, including Georgia, that target students, the elderly and people of color.”
.@BlackCaucus I was arrested today protesting against Senate inaction on voting rights legislation & filibuster reform. In the spirit of my dear friend and mentor – the late Congressman John Lewis – I was getting in #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/JjN51mRpaC
— Rep. Hank Johnson (@RepHankJohnson) July 22, 2021
U.S. Capitol Police arrested 10 people, including the politician, for “unlawfully demonstrating outside of the Hart Senate Office Building,” and charged them with “crowding, obstructing or incommoding.” They have all since been released.
Last week, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was arrested at a similar publicity stunt.
