Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee One Of Five Members Of Congress Arrested For Darfur Protest
By Vince Leibowitz on Apr 28, 2006 in Activism, Texas Congressional Delegation ![[Post to Twitter]](/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
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Why do I respect Sheila Jackson Lee? Because she’s got guts and heart. She was one of five members of the U.S. House protesting the Sudanese government’s role in the atrocities in the Darfur region outside the Sudanese Embassy today when the quintet was willingly arrested and lead away in plastic handcuffs.
At left, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va), is cuffed and led away from the protest by what appears to be a smiling police officer. The other Congressmen arrested were James McGovern and John Olver (both D-Mass).
Via MSNBC:
A total of 11 protesters were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor subject to a fine.
At left, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif), a Holocoust survivor, is led away. Lantos founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
The arrests were expected. Lantos’ office issued a news release about them in advance.
The protesters called on the Sudanese government to accept a U-N peacekeeping force in Darfur and allow humanitarian relief organizations full access to victims. Why? Here:
The three-year-old conflict between rebels and government-backed militias has left at least 180-thousand people dead, mostly from war-related hunger and disease. About two million have been left homeless.
President Bush has voiced support for a stronger international presence in Darfur. The United States has authorized more than 300 (M) million dollars for victims of the violence and to support peace talks.
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[...] Five Congresspersons were arrested outside the Sudanese embassy after protesting and calling on the Sudanese government to allow UN peacekeepers access to the victims of the genocide in Darfur. [...]