Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Andy Levin Arrested In Abortion Rights Protest In Front Of US Supreme Court
(CNN/CBS DETROIT) -- Michigan Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Andy Levin were among 17 Democratic members of Congress arrested by Capitol Police on Tuesday afternoon as part of an abortion rights protest in front of the Supreme Court.
Representative Nydia Velazquez, a Democrat from New York, center, Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat from Minnesota, center right, and Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, right, in the street outside the US Supreme Court during a protest of the court overturning Roe v. Wade in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. The high court's reversal of the 1973 landmark decision protecting the federal right to abortion has sent shock waves through the medical, legal and advocacy communities with the White House signing an executive order intended to preserve access to the procedure. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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."
UNITED STATES - JULY 19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, is escorted away from a sit-in outside the Supreme Court with members of Congress to protest the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/)
The U.S. 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 initially said 34 people, including the 16 members of Congress, were arrested. However, it was corrected to 35 people total, with 17 being legislators. They said those arrests were for crowding, obstructing or incommoding of the District of Columbia code.
Representative Nydia Velazquez, a Democrat from New York, from left, Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat from Minnesota, Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, and Representative Alma Adams, a Democrat from North Carolina, march toward the US Supreme Court during a protest of the court overturning Roe v. Wade in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. The high court's reversal of the 1973 landmark decision protecting the federal right to abortion has sent shock waves through the medical, legal and advocacy communities with the White House signing an executive order intended to preserve access to the procedure. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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
- Madeline 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
Both Tlaib and Levin's offices have not yet responded to CBS Detroit's request for comment.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
