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Washington (AFP) – At least 17 Democratic lawmakers, including prominent progressives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, were arrested Tuesday during an abortion rights protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, police said.
US Capitol Police said on Twitter that protesters blocked traffic on a nearby road and received three warnings before officers made the arrests.
“We made a total of 35 arrests for overcrowding, obstruction or inconvenience,” police said. “This number of arrests includes 17 members of Congress.”
The small protest came three weeks after a controversial Supreme Court ruling that overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade, who guaranteed women’s access to abortion.
“Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow congressmen in the Supreme Court,” Minnesota Rep. Omar tweeted.
“I will continue to do everything in my power to sound the alarm about the violation of our reproductive rights!” she tweeted.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York was also arrested and released a statement saying, “There is no democracy unless women have control over their own bodies and decisions about their own health, including reproductive care.”
“The Republican Party and the right-wing extremists behind this decision are not pro-life, but pro-body control for women, girls, and anyone who might get pregnant.”
Footage from the protest showed Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and others being led away, uncuffed, and saluting supporters.
© 2022 AFP
