Latest news with #MoralMonday
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘This isn't just about Trump': the Rev William Barber arrested after prayer-protest against Republican-led budget
A police officer's sense of timing seemed to illuminate the Rev William Barber's moral mission with startling clarity. During a prayer vigil on Monday in the Capitol rotunda, close to the very heart of US democracy, Barber was lamenting that Congress starts each day with its own prayers to the almighty even while preying on the poor. Capitol police captain, John Hersch, serendipitously choose that very moment to intervene. 'Your activity right now is taking the form of a demonstration,' Hersch told Barber and an accompanying gathering of clergy. 'It is unlawful to demonstrate in the Capitol Rotunda. If you do not cease your demonstration at this time, there is a possibility you will be placed under arrest.' Moments later, after two further warnings, Barber and seven accomplices – standing in front of the portrait of three 19th century women's suffrage campaigners – were arrested as police sealed off the rotunda. The arrests marked the climax of the latest Moral Monday protest organised by Repairers of the Breach, a group founded by Barber that's trying to derail Donald Trump's planned tax and spending bill on the grounds that it will slash vital health and social services to lower income Americans. It was the third Moral Monday Barber had led at the Capitol since April – and the third time he and his cohorts had been arrested. Barber, a social activist and founding director of Yale Divinity School's centre for public theology, had earlier led a rally outside the US supreme court attended by an estimated 2,000 protesters. As a band belted out gospel songs, demonstrators held signs with slogans such as 'Slashing the safety net is moral murder' and 'Don't cut Snap for 40 million poor people.' Wearing a white robe emblazoned with the words 'Jesus was a poor man,' Barber – the son of civil rights workers who campaigned for racial desegregation – enjoined demonstrators to crusade against legislation that the US president has termed his 'big, beautiful bill' and deemed essential to extending his massive 2017 tax cuts, which are due to expire this year. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the bill last month by a single vote, 215 to 214. It now goes forward to the Senate against a chorus of criticism about over its potential impact on the most vulnerable. Passage would result in 13.7 million people losing access to Medicaid and health insurance, Barber said. 'This bill represents the worst kind of evil, which is the love of money … the root of all evil,' he said 'This isn't just about Trump. Two hundred and fifteen Republicans in the House voted for this bill – and now every senator is going to decide whether they're going to vote for the 'we're all going to just die' approach to politics.' Barber was referring to remarks by Joni Ernst, a Republican senator for Iowa, who faced criticism for telling a town hall last week that 'we're all going to die' after a constituent warned that health cuts could result in some people dying. Ernst doubled down by issuing a mock 'apology' filmed in a cemetery, saying: 'For those that would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.' Barber compared Ernst's rhetoric with justifications used by slaveowners. 'That's the same language that slave masters used to tell slaves,' he said in an interview. 'They would say: 'Don't fight for freedom, but believe in Jesus so that in the eternal life.' 'It's so cynical. What she said was one of the most contradictory misinterpretations of faith I've ever heard. It's theological malpractice. 'As Dr [Martin Luther] King once said, we're not talking about over yonder. We're talking about over here and people need healthcare over here. People need food over here. For her to bring up religion and bring up Jesus – if Jesus did anything, he provided everybody he met free healthcare. He never charged a leper, or a sick person, or a blind person, for their healing.' The Moral Monday protests have been adapted from similar demonstrations Barber started in North Carolina in 2013, following the election of rightwing Republican Pat McCrory as governor. The protests lasted two years, recalled Barber, resulting in thousands of arrests for civil disobedience but also spurring thousands more to register to vote. As protests against Trump ramp up, Barber is vowing to make Moral Mondays a regular feature of the landscape of dissent. 'Moral Monday is not a one-time event,' he said. 'If this budget passes the way it is, it will have a negative impact on this country for 10 years. It could possibly not be fully reversed for up to 50 to 60 years. This is serious business.' The protests are likely to expand to encompass a broader pro-democracy agenda. 'Our role is not just the budget passing or not passing, but mobilizing poor and low wage folk. We stand against any attacks on voting rights, on public education, [or] on healthcare,' said Barber. 'Poor and low wage people now represent 30% of the electorate in this country, and in battleground states, over 40%,' he said, making them the largest potential expansion for voting power in the country. In an acknowledgement of Moral Monday's growing significance, this week's rally was addressed by Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the progressive Indivisible movement, which spearheaded nationwide Hands Off protests in April that drew millions of participants. Levin praised protesters for having the courage to overcome fear. 'People see us organized, and they say, wow, you are fearless,' he said. 'Oh no. If you are fearless in this moment, you're not paying attention. The authoritarians over there, they're taking over our democracy.' But congressional Republicans, too, felt fear, he said. 'They are projecting strength right now. They're acting as if this is inevitable. They're acting as if they have the power, you know, passing a bill through the House in the middle of night. [But] that's not strength, pushing it through before the public can comment on it 'The truth is, they're terrified. They are terrified their voters are going to see what they're doing. They're terrified they're going to lose their majority. And you know what? They should be terrified.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How William Barber's latest prayer-protest led to his arrest at the Capitol
The Rev. William J. Barber II warned congressional Republicans against weaponizing 'our tax dollars against us' after he was arrested last week in the U.S. Capitol following a prayer-protest against potential cuts to Medicaid. Barber, a pastor and civil rights activist known for his progressive, faith-based advocacy, was at the Capitol as part of his Moral Monday sermon series. Barber told NBC News that he was praying for senators to spare Medicaid in their plans for vast government spending cuts. Medicaid, the largest health care program in the country, provides coverage for more than 71 million low-income people. 'This budget cut does not affect one side or the other. Coming out of Covid, we all learned that Covid did not kill people for being Black or white or Republican or Democrat,' said Barber, who also contributes to MSNBC. He added the virus 'did not discriminate, and neither should our health care.' Barber has also long been critical of what he described as President Donald Trump's 'extremist policies.' 'We recognize that if Trump were out of office, these policies would still be pushed by the majority,' Barber said. 'We have to focus heavily on the policies and go after them. Not the individual.' In recent weeks, Republicans have unveiled plans to strip down the Affordable Care Act as part of a sweeping spending cut. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, is tasked with cutting $880 billion in spending. Democrats in the House and progressive groups argue the GOP will have to make drastic cuts to Medicaid to meet the threshold. Committee chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said the cuts will allow for better health care options. Republicans also said the cuts are geared toward preventing Medicaid abuse, though the specifics remain unclear. Congress has weeks to pass a sweeping budget that support Trump's agenda. Republicans have said they are aiming to cut fraud and waste from federal spending but specifics have been minimal thus far. Republicans are weighing new work requirements for able-bodied adults seeking Medicaid and rules to prevent noncitizens from receiving benefits. 'People are dying from poverty every day,' Barber said. 'This is a crisis of civilization. This is a crisis of democracy. This is not about being Black or white, left or right. This is about life and death.' Poverty contributed to the deaths of about 183,000 people in the United States in 2019, according to a study by David Brady, a professor of the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy. Limited access to health care, poor nutrition and exposure to environmental hazards all contribute to higher rates of illness and premature death among low-income communities. Highlighting those disparities is part of Barber's Poor People Campaign, a broader effort to lobby for economic equality that began with protests during Trump's first term in office. 'When we talk to poor and lower-wage voters about why they don't vote, the No. 1 reason is that nobody talks to them,' he said. 'Conversations around poverty center the middle class and wealthy. We have to have a change of our language and our focus.' In a letter sent to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle last week, Repairers of the Breach, Barber's social justice organization, said Black and Latino communities would most likely bear the brunt of the impact of Medicaid cuts. Barber and others have regularly organized Moral Monday protests for more than a decade. Barber said hundreds of supporters arrived at the protest at the Capitol last week but were largely denied entry to the building. He and a smaller group that gained access to the rotunda proceeded with silent prayer until the police intervened. Barber and faith leaders Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Steven Swayne were arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing and incommoding. Capitol Police told NBC News the group also violated federal regulations that prohibit demonstrations, including prayer, in congressional buildings. The arrests resulted in tickets. In support of Barber, Repairers of the Breach announced that 'the clergy and impacted persons and advocates will go to the US Capitol to deliver a written moral analysis done by Repairers and the Institute for Policy Studies' and that they would return to the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court every month until a change is made in favor of the millions affected. This article was originally published on
NBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
How William Barber's latest prayer-protest led to his arrest at the Capitol
The Rev. William J. Barber II warned congressional Republicans against weaponizing 'our tax dollars against us' after he was arrested last week in the U.S. Capitol following a prayer-protest against potential cuts to Medicaid. Barber, a pastor and civil rights activist known for his progressive, faith-based advocacy, was at the Capitol as part of his Moral Monday sermon series. Barber told NBC News that he was praying for senators to spare Medicaid in their plans for vast government spending cuts. Medicaid, the largest health care program in the country, provides coverage for more than 71 million low-income people. 'This budget cut does not affect one side or the other. Coming out of Covid, we all learned that Covid did not kill people for being Black or white or Republican or Democrat,' said Barber, who also contributes to MSNBC. He added the virus 'did not discriminate, and neither should our health care.' Barber has also long been critical of what he described as President Donald Trump's 'extremist policies.' 'We recognize that if Trump were out of office, these policies would still be pushed by the majority,' Barber said. 'We have to focus heavily on the policies and go after them. Not the individual.' In recent weeks, Republicans have unveiled plans to strip down the Affordable Care Act as part of a sweeping spending cut. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, is tasked with cutting $880 billion in spending. Democrats in the House and progressive groups argue the GOP will have to make drastic cuts to Medicaid to meet the threshold. Committee chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said the cuts will allow for better health care options. Republicans also said the cuts are geared toward preventing Medicaid abuse, though the specifics remain unclear. Congress has weeks to pass a sweeping budget that support Trump's agenda. Republicans have said they are aiming to cut fraud and waste from federal spending but specifics have been minimal thus far. Republicans are weighing new work requirements for able-bodied adults seeking Medicaid and rules to prevent noncitizens from receiving benefits. 'People are dying from poverty every day,' Barber said. 'This is a crisis of civilization. This is a crisis of democracy. This is not about being Black or white, left or right. This is about life and death.' Poverty contributed to the deaths of about 183,000 people in the United States in 2019, according to a study by David Brady, a professor of the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy. Limited access to health care, poor nutrition and exposure to environmental hazards all contribute to higher rates of illness and premature death among low-income communities. Highlighting those disparities is part of Barber's Poor People Campaign, a broader effort to lobby for economic equality that began with protests during Trump's first term in office. 'When we talk to poor and lower-wage voters about why they don't vote, the No. 1 reason is that nobody talks to them,' he said. 'Conversations around poverty center the middle class and wealthy. We have to have a change of our language and our focus.' In a letter sent to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle last week, Repairers of the Breach, Barber's social justice organization, said Black and Latino communities would most likely bear the brunt of the impact of Medicaid cuts. Barber and others have regularly organized Moral Monday protests for more than a decade. Barber said hundreds of supporters arrived at the protest at the Capitol last week but were largely denied entry to the building. He and a smaller group that gained access to the rotunda proceeded with silent prayer until the police intervened. Barber and faith leaders Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Steven Swayne were arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing and incommoding. Capitol Police told NBC News the group also violated federal regulations that prohibit demonstrations, including prayer, in congressional buildings. The arrests resulted in tickets. In support of Barber, Repairers of the Breach announced that 'the clergy and impacted persons and advocates will go to the US Capitol to deliver a written moral analysis done by Repairers and the Institute for Policy Studies' and that they would return to the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court every month until a change is made in favor of the millions affected.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
We got arrested for praying at the U.S. Capitol. But we won't be deterred.
A week ago Monday, Congress returned to Washington to begin work on the federal budget and, by week's end, the White House had released its 'skinny budget' that is its outline to make permanent the cuts attempted by Elon Musk's DOGE effort. These disastrous proposals, which come out of the same Project 2025 playbook that Trump disavowed during his campaign, would devastate the most vulnerable people in our communities. As pastors who preach Jesus' good news to the poor, on April 28, we joined moral leaders from religious denominations and civic organizations to launch 'Moral Mondays' at the U.S. Capitol. We spent the first 100 days of Trump's presidency studying his administration's proposals to dismantle the federal government, and we issued a report with the Institute for Policy Studies to help the public understand what the consequences of a Trump budget would be. Lifting the cries of people whose lives could be destroyed, we bowed our heads in prayer in the Capitol Rotunda. After several minutes, officers were dispatched to ask us to stop praying. But our conscience would not allow us to stop. Though we were arrested and carried away, we have not stopped praying. Moral Monday is back at the Capitol today to continue to lift a collective prayer that we all might be saved from this immoral budget. Ironically, three days later, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was in the Rose Garden observing the National Day of Prayer with religious leaders who have chosen to whitewash over Trump's policy violence. Johnson bowed his head and asked God's blessings not only for the nation, but also for the immoral agenda that he has agreed to champion as 'one big, beautiful bill.' Earlier in the week, Johnson could not help smirking as he used Trump's moniker for the monstrous budget at a 'Pro-Life America' banquet in Washington. 'Don't judge me if I have to name it that,' Johnson chuckled, 'it's what we, uh, it's what he, wants to do.' True prayer is always an invitation to humble ourselves before God and acknowledge our human limitations. Yet, Christian nationalist leaders like Speaker Johnson want to appropriate prayer as divine blessing for the things God hates. They claim to celebrate the role of public prayer in U.S. history, noting that the Continental Congress called for a day of 'Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer' during the American Revolution. But it's not right for leaders such as Johnson to try to claim the moral authority of patriots who cried out to God while they risked life and liberty to challenge a tyrant — not when they're cowering obediently to billionaires, abdicating their responsibility and bowing to the will of an American president acting like a dictator. Theirs is the hypocritical form of prayer that Amos confronted in the Bible and led him to prophesy in the voice of God, 'I hate your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.' When political leaders use religion to try to justify policies that hurt women, children, immigrants and the vulnerable, Amos declares that their prayers become an offense to God. 'Woe unto you,' Jesus says to the religious leaders of his own day who used their office to prop up a Roman regime that exploited the poor. 'You have neglected,' he said, 'the weightier matters of the law.' We've brought Moral Mondays to the U.S. Capitol because the 'weightier matters' of our religious and moral traditions, which call us to protect the poor and the most vulnerable in our communities, are being neglected as an agenda backed by a narrow set of billionaires aims to dismantle our nation's social safety net. A dozen years ago, we witnessed a similar effort to deconstruct state government programs in North Carolina. Though extremists who controlled all three branches of state government at the time had the power to pursue this agenda, we knew the struggle wasn't Democrats versus Republicans. It was a moral struggle that could unite all of us. When we began with a small number of religious and moral leaders in April 2013, Gov. Pat McCrory's approval rating was 65%. By the end of that summer, in which we'd held Moral Mondays every week, he was polling at 30%, and he never recovered. McCrory was the only incumbent Republican governor to lose a re-election bid in 2016. Trump and Johnson want to pass this immoral budget before Memorial Day, but the truth is that only 35% of Americans support their trial run of these cuts through DOGE in Trump's first 100 days. Twelve House Republicans have already written to Johnson to say they cannot support proposed cuts to Medicaid. Whether we care for the poor, the sick and the vulnerable is not a question of partisan loyalty, but of moral commitment. We are bringing the prayers of millions to our nation's Capitol because we continue to believe that the values of love, mercy and justice are moral values that go deeper than partisan loyalty. We have written to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle and asked them to pray with us and with members of our communities who would be impacted by these proposed cuts. We know the power of prayer to change hearts. But whether they change or not, we will continue to pray that one more powerful than our elected leaders will save us from the destruction they have planned. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Rev. William Barber II arrested by US Capitol Police for praying 'out loud' in Rotunda after 'multiple warnings'
Claim: U.S. Capitol police officers arrested the Rev. William Barber II and two others for praying inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington on April 28, 2025. Rating: In April 2025, social media posts claimed U.S. Capitol police officers arrested the Rev. William Barber II, a civil rights activist and ordained minister, along with two other individuals for praying inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. A Capitol police spokesperson confirmed the reports, saying officers arrested Barber and the two others on April 28 following "multiple warnings" for praying "out loud." Barber's social justice-focused national nonprofit organization, Repairers of the Breach, arranged the group prayer for its "Moral Monday" event, labeling the event a "pray-in." Police described their act of prayer — one focused on opposition to the Republican-proposed budget bill — as "demonstrating." They were charged with violating a D.C. law against "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding," which carries a maximum fine of $500. A story circulating online in late April 2025 claimed U.S. Capitol police officers arrested the Rev. William Barber II, a civil rights activist and ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ denomination, for praying inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. For example, Jack Jenkins, a national reporter for Religion News Service, posted (archived) pictures on X showing Capitol police officers standing near Barber and other people inside the Rotunda. The post read: "BREAKING: Police just surrounded Rev. William Barber, prominent activist and pastor, as he and others prayed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Police then expelled everyone (including press) to (presumably) arrest them. Covered protests here a lot. Never seen anything like it." Many other social media users also posted about the story. (@jackmjenkins/X) Several Snopes readers asked questions about this matter via email, including, for example, "Was Rev. Dr. William Barber arrested for praying?" as well as, "Was Rev. William Barber really arrested in the Capitol Rotunda for praying against the Republican budget?" A Capitol police spokesperson confirmed to Snopes that this story was true, saying that on April 28, their officers arrested Barber and two other individuals after "multiple warnings" for praying "out loud," including praying in unison as a group, inside the Rotunda. Police described their act of prayer — one focused on opposition to the Republican-proposed budget bill — as "demonstrating." The rest of the police statement, featured below in this article, included details about the law they alleged the three individuals violated. The group prayer took place as part of an organized event called "Moral Monday." Repairers of the Breach, Barber's North Carolina-based, social justice-focused national nonprofit organization, arranged the gathering. The organization's Facebook page hosted a flyer (archived) calling the event "a stand against injustice," as well as a brief, edited video — described later in this article — showing several moments prior to the arrests, including officers clearing all members of the public and anyone identifying themselves as press from the Rotunda. A representative for Repairers of the Breach had not yet responded to several emailed questions as of this writing. The organization did, however, post (archived) on X a statement in a thread of posts, beginning with the text from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The organization's statement read, in part: "When prayer and peaceful petition are met with arrest, it shows how much work remains to build a true democracy." The thread identified the other two arrested individuals as the Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Steve Swayne. Wilson-Hartgrove describes himself on his website as a spiritual writer, preacher and community cultivator, as well as an assistant director for partnerships and fellowships at Yale University's Center for Public Theology and Public Policy. Following the arrests, he appeared in a video interview posted on X. Swayne serves as the director of the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center. In an emailed response to Snopes dated April 30, a Capitol police spokesperson said "yes" in response to a request to confirm the arrests. The statement read: Three people were arrested for demonstrating inside the Congressional Buildings, which is not allowed in any form, to include but not limited to sitting, kneeling, group praying, singing, chanting, etc. In this case, they started praying quietly and then began to pray out loud. That is when we gave them multiple warnings to stop or they would be arrested. Three people didn't stop. The spokesperson cited a charge against the three individuals from the Code of the District of Columbia: "§ 22–1307. Crowding, obstructing, or incommoding." The charge carries a maximum fine of $500. "Basically, they just have to pay a ticket," they said, adding, "There are other spots on Capitol grounds where this type of demonstrating is allowed." The Capitol Police website hosts a map (archived) of demonstration permit areas. Another page provides information about applying for a permit. According to the statement, the Rotunda "quickly reopened," and they only "very briefly restricted" the space during the arrests. A brief, edited video hosted on the Repairers of the Breach Facebook page featured Barber wearing a clergy stole imprinted with the words, "Jesus was a poor man." The clip's caption read, "Today, as clergy - including Bishop William J. Barber, II - and people of moral conscience respectfully prayed in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, they were arrested while the public and cameras, including those belonging to press outlets, were banned from the area." In the video clip, which only showed short segments of the prayer, Barber prayed: "We are here crying to you, oh God, because we've heard the cries of your people." The video then cut to Wilson-Hartgrove, who recited from a piece of paper, "We have also read the budget resolution of this Congress, which calls for $1.5 trillion in cuts to life-saving and life-sustaining programs in order to give a tax break to billionaires." Swayne, also reading from a piece of paper, said, "Deliver us, oh Lord, from the deceptive lie that says our nation will be better off if those who have little get less, and those who have too much get more." After Barber and the others each spoke about the Republican budget bill during the group prayer, they and other unidentified individuals all recited together, "Against the conspiracy of cruelty, we plead the power of your mercy." A uniformed man identifying himself as a captain with the Capitol Police then informed the group, "Right now, you're participating in an unlawful demonstration. If you don't cease and desist the activity, you are subject to arrest." The video showed other officers also warning the group, including unidentified people recording videos, telling them they may be arrested if they did not exit the Rotunda. One unidentified officer said, "It doesn't matter if you're press." The clip showed that same officer moments later informing another officer, "They're not allowed in there right now. The press isn't allowed in." An article from Religion News Service, authored by Jenkins, featured an interview with Barber conducted after the arrests, reporting the praying lasted for around 15 minutes, as well as the fact that Barber called his interactions with Capitol police officers "cordial." According to Bing, DuckDuckGo and Google, the incident followed arrests of Barber in past years also pertaining to demonstrations. In one of Barber's more prominent national appearances, he delivered the homily during an interfaith Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service hosted by Washington National Cathedral following former U.S. President Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021. "§ 22–1307. Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding." Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law Library, "§ 22–3571.01. Fines for Criminal Offenses." Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law Library, Barber II, William J. "Read the Rev. William Barber's Sermon From the Inaugural Prayer Service." TIME, 21 Jan. 2021, "Bio." Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, "Clergy and People of Moral Conscience Arrested for Praying Inside the United States Capitol." Facebook, Repairers of the Breach, 28 Apr. 2025, Dias, Elizabeth, and Ruth Graham. "'This Moment Is Critical.' Whither Progressive Christians After Pope Francis?" The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025, "First Amendment." Constitution Annotated, Jenkins, Jack. "Rev. William Barber Arrested in Capitol Rotunda after Praying against Republican-Led Budget." RNS, 28 Apr. 2025, ---. "The Rev. William Barber Arrested in Capitol Rotunda after Praying against Republican-Led Budget." Episcopal News Service, 29 Apr. 2025, "Moral Mondays in DC at the Capitol." EveryAction, "NC Rev. Barber Holds Major Role at Inauguration Service." The Associated Press, 21 Jan. 2021, "Prohibited Items." U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center, Quillin, Martha. "Rev. William Barber Arrested While Praying at US Capitol. Here's What We Know." The News & Observer, 29 Apr. 2025, Repairers of the Breach. Spectrum News Staff, Raleigh. "Civil Rights Activist Rev. William Barber Found Guilty in Court." Spectrum News 1, 6 June 2019, "Steve Swayne." St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, "Visitor Guidelines." U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center, "William J. Barber II." Charles F. Kettering Foundation,
