Police at the United States Capitol Building said Jackson and Barber were among 21 people arrested near the United States Supreme Court building on Wednesday for congestion and obstruction. Video footage shows the religious leaders were outside the Hart Senate building at the time of their detention.
“When you start canceling voter registration, canceling early voting, undermining mail in the ballot, limiting that people can even get water, doing racist gerrymandering, gerrymandering based on class, you hurt blacks, you hurt whites, you hurt Asians, Natives, Latinos, youth and the disabled, â€Barber told CNN’s Chris Cuomo.
Religious leaders are among several prominent figures and organizations demanding that state and federal lawmakers cease efforts to enact bills restricting access to the vote and support the For the People Act, a draft the voting and election law Democrats introduced to counter state-level efforts.
Video footage captured by CNN shows the group were then escorted to the sidewalk by officers.
This is not the first time Barber has led a demonstration against filibuster. Last week, Barber and dozens of people marched to the Manchin, West Virginia office.
“They are tired of Manchin supporting filibuster and not supporting them. Talking about bipartisanship rather than talking about the needs of West Virginia,” Barber told CNN earlier this month of Manchin voters. .
Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Martin Luther King Jr., will lead the march with his family’s organization, the Drum Major Institute, as well as March On, Service Employees International Union and the National Action Network.
“It is time for all Americans to come together and join this non-violent, non-partisan movement in the spirit of Dr. King and the values ​​he pushed this nation to stand for,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, who heads the National Action Network. . “I am proud to be part of the March for the Right to Vote because there is no democratic right more sacred than the right to vote, and it is under threat across America. We must fight for it. protect him.”
