In Washington, about a dozen members of a more liberal group called Democracy Spring cuffed themselves inside the Capitol rotunda in a protest of the influence of special interests in U.S. politics and to denounce laws making it more difficult to vote.
The Democracy Spring demonstration followed the arrest of hundreds at events all week including a sit-in protest on the steps of the Capitol, the seat of the U.S. Congress.
Both the weeklong protests in Washington and Friday's nationwide demonstrations led by the activist group Represent.Us have tapped into some of the voter frustration seen on the presidential campaign trail.
"From super PACs [political action committees] to lucrative job offers and campaign contributions, there are tons of perfectly legal ways to bribe a politician," said Charlotte Hill, communications director for Represent.Us...
[voanews.com - Reuters]
15/4/16
Hundreds of protesters from across the US gathered on the Capitol Hill Friday, chanting "money out, people in," among other slogans, as part of a week-long protest in Washington, D.C., the US national capital, against big money in politics...
ReplyDeleteDozens of protesters were taken into police custody for refusing to leave the steps of the Capitol building, bringing the total number of arrests made this week to about 800.
"The overall majority of Americans believe that the way the campaigns are financed in the country disenfranchises ordinary people," said Kenneth Martel, an organizer of the protest dubbed "Democracy Spring."
Protesters argue that the interests of big campaign donors and lobbyists are favored over the needs of the public, calling the current "pay-to-play" system in the US" out of control."
On the west lawn of the Capitol building, protesters from the US states of California and Colorado to Vermont chanted slogans such as "one person, one vote," and "justice," while sporting banners and placards that said "If money is speech, then speech ain't free" and "student need over corporate greed."
They also took turns to address the crowd, targeting big corporation and interests groups as well as mainstream US media that have paid little attention to their dissatisfaction and demands.
Later, more than 10 protesters entered the Capitol building as part of a tour group and tied themselves to the scaffolding in the rotunda before being taken into custody..............http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/978753.shtml