Latest news with #RepairersoftheBreach
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Video shows pastors arrested in Capitol Rotunda prayer-against-Trump encore
Several religious activists were arrested in the Capitol Rotunda Monday for demonstrating against planned GOP cuts to Medicaid for the second time in as many months. The Rev. William Barber led a group of clergy in several minutes of prayer in front of a statue of suffragettes inside the Rotunda building just after noon before the group was advised by a senior officer with the US Capitol Police that they were in violation of the building's prohibition against demonstrations. Barber and several others can be seen continuing to pray as they are led away in zip-ties, in video taken by The Independent at the protest. As Barber and his group received their first warning, a large group of at least two dozen Capitol Police officers formed a line separating the group from the visiting tour groups proceeding around the room. Other officers quickly began directing those tours out of the room. Within minutes, the group received their second warning, and officers in the police line began ordering reporters in the room to exit as well, or risk arrest. 'We're going to pray. if they arrest us, that's on them,' Barber had told The Independent ahead of his arrest. His words touched repeatedly on the Republican budget reconciliation bill passed by the House of Representatives last month, which is now in the Senate where upper-chamber lawmakers will begin debating changes to Donald Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill' — including splitting it up into multiple packages. At the core of the legislation is an effort to fund an extension of the 2017 tax cuts passed during Trump's first administration, and Republican lawmakers are doing so by adding work requirements that experts, including the Congressional Budget Office, estimate will endanger the eligibility of millions of Americans. This was the second time Barber and his organization, Repairers of the Breach, were involved in a prayer demonstration against the GOP budget bill, and it was evident in the mannerisms of Capitol Police officers who participated in the arrests. Barber's first arrest occurred in late April. One source familiar with the operations of the building told The Independent that Capitol Police were expecting the group's demonstration on Monday. Barber and his group walked from the Supreme Court, where a rally was held ahead of the demonstration. Several officers were holding zip-tie handcuffs before the arrests began, and in pairs the group were led out of the room with their wrists bound, with reporters now watching from afar. The reverend, who was walking gingerly with the aid of two canes, was the last — along with a woman in a wheelchair — to be restrained and led from the room. The Independent witnessed Barber being led into a side corridor, away from view. A total of eight people were arrested, per a representative for Repairers of the Breach. In an interview Monday morning, Barber said that the GOP budget bill's planned changes to Medicaid and food stamps, including work requirements and changes to SNAP for families with children, constituted a moral issue that should transcend typical Washington party divisions. 'Interestingly enough, we were arrested for just praying,' Barber said of his demonstration in May. 'They are passing a bill that's preying — p-r-e-y-ing — on the poorest of us, and we were arrested for praying. 'Clergy have said this is a moral issue. It's not a Republican or Democrat. It's a moral issue,' he continued. He had stinging words for House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans who have claimed that analyses of the budget bill indicating that millions are at risk of losing Medicaid eligibility should it pass are false. Barber said that the disproportionate benefits of the 2017 GOP tax cuts for wealthier Americans amounted to the 2025 reconciliation bill being the largest robbery of wealth from lower-income Americans in history, with the exception of slavery. 'These folk get up every morning and decide the way to use power is to hurt people,' he said. 'There's no reason for them to even be touching Medicaid. That's the whole point. The only reason they're doing this is because they're trying to get the money for the tax is for those tax cuts to the wealthy and the greedy.' The reverend is a longtime activist for low-income Americans and raising the federal minimum wage through his organization and a larger group he is part of, the Poor People's Campaign. His Moral Monday rallies, held in DC, his home state of North Carolina and elsewhere, have rallied left-leaning faith leaders on issues that affect low-income communities across the country for more than a decade. Barber also rallied voters to support former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. More recently, the 61-year-old was accused of directly moving funds from Repairers of the Breach into a personal shared bank account, which he then used for an alimony payment. His attorney told a local newspaper, the Raleigh News and Observer, that her claims 'are not true.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Medicaid cuts at center of debate over Trump megabill
Demonstrators are marching in Washington, D.C. against President Trump's tax and spending package. Executive Director of Repairers of the Breach, the non-profit leading the demonstration, Reverend Kazimir Brown joins Chris Jansing to speak out against the Republican spending plan, which includes cuts to crucial programs like Medicaid.
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,
American Military News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Rev. William Barber arrested while praying at US Capitol. Here's what we know.
North Carolina-based pastor and national anti-poverty activist Rev. William Barber II was arrested with two other clergy members Monday while praying at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The three were part of a group of 20 to 30 people who had gone to the Capitol after a larger 'Moral Mondays' rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court building. Organizers say the gatherings are in opposition to cuts that have been made or proposed in the federal budget that are immoral because they disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable people. Video shows police clearing out the rotunda A three-minute video posted online Monday night by Repairers of the Breach, of which Barber is president and senior lecturer, shows Barber praying with the Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, a writer, preacher and assistant director for partnerships and fellowships at Yale University's Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, and Steve Swayne, director of St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville. They took turns reading from a scripted prayer, saying, 'We are here crying to you, Oh, God, because we have heard the cries of your people.' '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,' they said. 'Against the conspiracy of cruelty, we plead the power of your mercy.' Capitol Police officers stepped in to tell the group they were participating in an 'unlawful demonstration' and must stop or be arrested. Officers then told others in the room they must get out, including at least one person who told officers he was a member of the press. The doors to the rotunda closed with Barber and others from his group still inside, while everyone else was told they had to leave the building. Handcuffed and arrested Barber said on Tuesday that with the doors closed, he, Wilson-Hartgrove and Swayne were handcuffed and arrested. The three were charged by Capitol Police with 'crowding, obstructing, and incommoding,' a violation of a District of Columbia ordinance around public demonstrations. 'We weren't cursing. We weren't talking extraordinarily loud,' said Barber, who was wearing a stole that said, 'Jesus was a poor man' when officers detained him. 'They gave us three warnings and then they arrested us, saying our prayer was an illegal activity.' A public information officer for the Capitol Police said Tuesday via email that Barber and the others 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,' the spokesperson said. 'That is when we gave them multiple warnings to stop or they would be arrested. Three people didn't stop. ' The spokesperson said there are other places on Capitol ground where such a demonstration would have been allowed. To resolve the charges, the spokesperson said, 'Basically they just have to pay a ticket.' Barber said he and the others don't plan to contest the charges and would pay the fine. Barber has been arrested numerous times, including in connection with the original Moral Mondays campaign in North Carolina that began in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Republican-led state legislature was moving to cut education funding and unemployment benefits, opting out of Medicaid expansion, restricting abortion rights, limiting voter access and relaxing environmental protections, all of which Barber said was 'regressive' and 'extremist' and had the worst impacts on poor people, women, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, minorities and the uninsured. Concerns about the federal budget Barber said Tuesday he has similar concerns about federal budget proposals in the works now, especially a plan by Republicans in Congress to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, meant to expire at the end of this year. Budget analysts with the Bipartisan Policy Center have said extending the cuts could add more than $4 trillion to the federal deficit from fiscal year 2025 through 2034. Congress is considering cutting spending on federal programs to offset some of that cost. Doing so, while also increasing spending for the military, Barber said Tuesday, 'is so disastrous. There is no way they can cut $2 trillion from the budget and not undermine Social Security and Medicare and free and reduced-price lunches for school children.' U.S. Justice Department is looking for anti-Christian bias Barber said it was interesting that he and others from the interfaith Moral Mondays movement were arrested days after President Donald Trump's Department of Justice launched a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the federal government. Barber, who is co-chair of the national Poor People's Campaign, said it's his Christian faith that compels him to advocate for the poor, women, children and immigrants. 'But people come in (to the Capitol) to say this budget does not line up with our values or even the Constitution, and we get arrested,' Barber said. ___ © 2025 The Herald-Sun Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
