Saturday, December 17, 2005
A New Dialogue Begins from a Jail Cell
| by eRobin | 2:17 AM |Jim Wallis and over a hundred other religious activists were arrested today for blocking a door to a federal office building.
115 religious leaders were arrested in front of the Cannon House Office Building while kneeling in prayer to protest the immoral budget and tax agenda which slashes spending on the poor to finance tax breaks for the rich. Led by Jim Wallis of Call to Renewal, national faith leaders, clergy and faith-based providers of services to the poor held a press conference.Iddybud has the story and some (predictable and detestible) reaction from the right. Testimonies from those arrested here.
Following the press conference the leaders kneeled in prayer blocking the entrance to the Cannon House Office Building on the corner of Independence and New Jersey Avenues. The Capitol Police began arresting the participants after warning them three times to move from the entrance. The participants were escorted one at a time into one of two Metro buses transported to a Capitol Police warehouse facility at 67 K St., SW (South Capitol and K Street) where they are being processed at this hour. Also at this hour a vigil in support of those who participated in today’s civil disobedience is taking place at the same location. The first release of those arrested is expected around 5:00PM EST.
