With failure of the Democrat power grab known as the "For the People Act" in congress June 22, the left-wing activist group The Poor People’s Campaign decided to target Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The group held a semi-peaceful protest outside of the U.S. Capitol June 23. The result was more than 20 individuals arrested including PPC co-founder Bishop William Barber II.
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Barber, a BLM activist, led a group of around 200 protestors down Constitution Avenue shouting “We come not as an insurrection group, but as a resurrection group.” The Religious News Service also reported that Barber was telling the “demonstrators” to “fill up the jails,” and if “you call yourself a child of God, you oughta act like it sometimes.”
The protest was organized by the PPC, listed on their calendar as the “Moral March on Manchin & McConnell,” they also hung a banner reading, “A National Call for Moral Revival.” Remember, this was a rally organized to intimidate senators into raising the minimum wage and passing the For the People Act. If they got what they are asking for they would hurt poor communities and greatly decrease election integrity which would hurt the whole country. That is the opposite of “moral.”
During the protest Manchin spoke directly with Barber, who accused him of “helping Republicans because of his support of the filibuster.” Barber further encouraged the rowdy crowd, saying
We are also here to say to Manchin: Any so-called Democrat who claims to support the nonconstitutional filibuster over the constitutional guarantee that no state can deny or abridge the right to vote … you are assisting the Republicans in their extremism.
WATCH: #PoorPeoplesCampaign Moral March on Manchin & McConnell in D.C. https://t.co/B389ttHUxA
— Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (@RevDrBarber) June 23, 2021
The increasingly loud group of people were gathering in the street and blocking traffic and mingled with bystanders, in a confusing mass. Before long the police arrived and began trying to wave the protestors out of the street. Many of the demonstrators began yelling obscene names at them and getting in their faces. When many of the individuals refused to get out of the way of traffic, the police arrested them. There were more than 20 people arrested, including Rev. Jackson and Barber.
At one point, a woman thought it would be a smart idea to play a siren noise on her bullhorn and shove it into a young cop's face. The officer proceeded to push the horn further away from him, and the woman started screaming immediately. “Bitch, get your hands off of me,” she yelled.
Another man standing behind her got in the cops face as well, yelling unintelligible terms at the top of his lungs. The officer kept his composure, but I’m sure he’s used to the insanity of the left by now.
Just another day in our nation’s Capitol.
