Rosario Dawson Arrested During Democracy Spring Protests In D.C.

Photo Credit AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Actor and longtime activist Rosario Dawson was arrested in Washington D.C. on Friday during the Democracy Spring protests on Capitol Hill. Dawson was among dozens of demonstrators arrested after five days of pro-democracy protests on the steps of Congress. One of 800 people arrested during the week-long protest, Dawson was arrested alongside Democracy Spring campaign director Kai Newkirk. She was detained briefly following the arrest and required to pay a $50 fine, according to reports from The Guardian.

Wearing an American flag, a black jacket with Sanders’ image and various Sanders badges, Dawson said afterwards that US Capitol police gave her multiple warnings before making the arrest, perhaps because they realised the publicity it would generate.

“I wanted personally to be in solidarity with the other folks who put themselves on the line and really just to bring attention to this because I think that’s just vitally important,” she explained.

“The police were really great with us, really lovely. I have to say that is not the case for so many people: Dreamers, Black Lives Matter activists, so many people are not seeing this kind of courageousness ... I hope that officers across the nation can take heed of that and recognise that the peaceful protests that are going around the nation should also be treated in the same way as we are being treated today.”

“We’re putting ourselves on the line for what a lot of people across America and I think across the planet really want to be able to see happen in America, which is one person, one vote, and to really take the money out of politics so that we can have fair elections where ... we can have true options for our leadership, which we have not been able to see.”

Read the full report via theguardian.com. Scroll down to view footage of Dawson's reaction from The Young Turks. Get more on Democracy Spring via democracyspring.org.