Representative Joyce Beatty arrested during protest for the right to vote

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Beatty, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, participated in a small rally alongside 12 activists outside the Supreme Court building before walking towards Hart, singing songs including “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine” .

After a police warning to clear the area, Beatty was the first person arrested. Other members of the group were also arrested.

The Ohio Democrat shared photos of herself being strapped to her Twitter account with the caption “Let the people vote. Fight for justice”, then tweeting “#GoodTrouble”, a reference to the late representative John Lewis, a Georgian Democrat who served as a civil rights icon during his 60-plus years of activism social.

“I stand in solidarity with black women and their allies across the country in defending our constitutional right to vote,” Beatty said in a statement posted on her Twitter account after her arrest. “We have gone too far and fought too hard for everything to be systematically dismantled and restricted by those who wish to silence us. Rest assured this is only the beginning. This is Our Power, Our Message.”

Thursday’s rally was part of an event titled “Speak Out: Call to Action Day on Capitol Hill,” according to a statement from Beatty’s office ahead of the protest.

Some of the protesters wore shirts saying “Protect Our Voting Rights” and “Black Voters Matter”. Once they entered Hart through the magnetometers and walked halfway around the atrium, they stopped and chanted in favor of passing the For the People Act – a bill radical election that Democrats say will thwart GOP efforts to restrict voting rights in states following the 2020 election.

Democratic legislation was passed by the House earlier this year, but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate in late June. The demonstrators also chanted: “End the systematic obstruction”. Removing the legislative hurdle would allow Democrats to pass legislation in the House by simple majority.



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