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The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
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
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia man sentenced for setting car on fire at US Capitol
WASHINGTON () — A Lorton, Va. man was sentenced Friday after he set his car ablaze at the U.S. Capitol as former President Jimmy Carter lay in state. According to court documents, the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) began investigating a vehicle fire on the U.S. Capitol grounds at around 5 p.m. on Jan. 8. At the time, Carter was lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda, and numerous government officials were visiting. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: US Capitol Police arrest man for trying to light car on fire Adrian J. Hinton, 36, had driven his car from Virginia to Washington, D.C. earlier that day, parking near the memorial to Ulysses S. Grant. He then removed a bottle, dumped liquid on the top of his car and ignited it, setting the vehicle on fire. Hinton told responding USCP officers that the liquid was gasoline and Crisco. He was taken into custody quickly after the fire started and apologised for inconveniencing the USCP, according to court documents. He reportedly said he was not trying to set himself on fire, but only set his car ablaze to protest the recent presidential election. The fire department was able to safely extinguish the fire and other officials, including bomb technicians, rendered the scene safe. Woodbridge woman charged after driving while intoxicated with young children, police say He pleaded guilty to destruction of government property on Jan. 31, just weeks after the incident. On May 23, Hinton was sentenced to one year of supervised release, plus 125 hours of community service. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump administration to pay nearly $5 million to family of Ashli Babbitt, January 6 rioter killed by police
US to pay nearly $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt The US government on Monday agreed to pay nearly $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt , the woman who was fatally shot by police during the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, reports the Washington Post. Babbitt was a vocal Trump supporter and Air Force veteran, and was shot while trying to climb through a shattered window near the House Speaker's Lobby during the violent breach of the Capitol. The justice department will now settle a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by her family with the help of conservative group Judicial Watch . The lawsuit claimed that Officer Michael Byrd , who shot Babbutt, acted negligently and failed to de-escalate the situation. In 2021, the DOJ ruled no wrongdoing by police Outgoing US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told CBS News that he had been informed of the decision 'a few weeks ago' and expressed disappointment in a message to the entire force. 'I told them I was extremely disappointed, and I disagreed with the Department of Justice's decision to settle this lawsuit,' he said. Manger reiterated his disapproval in a statement to ABC News, saying, 'This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours.' Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo He added, 'In 2021, the DOJ investigation determined no wrongdoing by police.' 'Ashli was unarmed, her hands were up in the air' The initial civil lawsuit alleged that Byrd was not identifiable as law enforcement when he fired the fatal shot, as he was wearing a Covid mask and not in uniform at the time. 'Ashli was unarmed,' the suit claimed. 'Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Byrd and other officers in the lobby. Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone 'I'm a big fan of Ashli Babbitt': Donald Trump Babbitt's death became a rallying cry for Trump loyalists, with many arguing she was killed unjustly. US President Trump himself has referenced her multiple times, and in a March interview with Newsmax, he said, 'I'm a big fan of Ashli Babbitt, okay, and Ashli Babbitt was a really good person who was a big MAGA fan, Trump fan , and she was innocently standing there — they even say, trying to sort of hold back the crowd.' Trump added, 'And a man did something unthinkable to her when he shot her, and I think it's a disgrace. I'm going to look into that; I did not know that.' Byrd's action were 'lawful and within Department policy': US Capitol Police An internal review by the US Capitol Police concluded Byrd's actions were 'lawful and within Department policy.' In its August 2021 report, the agency said, 'The officer's actions were consistent with the officer's training and USCP policies and procedures.' The case was filed while Biden was president, but Trump still supports the Capitol rioters. One of his first actions after coming back to office was to pardon more than 1,500 people charged in the attack. Babbitt's mother, Micki Witthoeft, has remained vocal about her daughter's death. She has led nightly protests outside the DC jail for over two years and met with Republican leaders, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy .
CNN
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump administration to settle Ashli Babbitt wrongful death suit for $5 million, source says
The Trump administration has agreed to pay nearly $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, a pro-Donald Trump rioter who was shot and killed after breaching the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to a person familiar with the matter. The settlement, once approved in court, will end a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by Babbitt's family. Prosecutors said in a hearing earlier this month that a settlement agreement had been reached, though details were not made clear at the time. The Washington Post first reported the settlement amount. As Babbitt was attempting to climb through a broken window leading to the Speaker's Lobby outside the House of Representatives' chamber during the attack, a US Capitol Police officer shot and killed Babbitt. The officer was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing related to the shooting. During a hearing on May 2, lawyers for Babbitt's estate as well as attorneys for the Justice Department confirmed that a settlement in principle has been reached in the case and said the agreement would cover all parameters of the suit. In April 2021, the US attorney for the District of Columbia determined that no federal laws were broken in the shooting. The Justice Department found 'no evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully' used unlawful or unreasonable force. 'Specifically, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber,' the office wrote in a statement at the time. Different legal standards, however, exist for civil suits like the one brought by Babbitt's family, and criminal charges. In a statement Monday, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said he was 'extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement.' 'In 2021, the DOJ investigation determined no wrongdoing by police. This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours,' Manger said. CNN has reached out to the Babbitt estate attorney and Justice Department for comment.
Kuwait Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Ben & Jerry cofounder removed from Senate in Gaza protest
WASHINGTON: Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's, is detained by US Capitol Police for disrupting proceedings during a hearing with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill.- AFP WASHINGTON: Ben Cohen, co founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and a longtime progressive activist, told AFP he was speaking for millions of Americans outraged by the 'slaughter' in Gaza after his removal from a US Senate hearing on Wednesday. Cohen, 74, was among a group of protesters who startled Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr by interrupting his testimony about his department's budget proposal. Shouting that 'Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza' while lawmakers move to slash Medicaid - the health insurance program for low income families - the businessman and philanthropist was placed in handcuffs by Capitol Police. He urged senators to press Zionists to let food reach 'starving kids' as he was led away. 'It got to a point where we had to do something,' Cohen said in an interview after his release, calling it 'scandalizing' that the US approved '$20 billion worth of bombs' for Zionists even as social programs are squeezed back home. 'The majority of Americans hate what's going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name,' he said. US public opinion toward Zionist entity has become increasingly unfavorable, especially among Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center Poll last month. Beyond the spending, Cohen framed the issue as a moral and 'spiritual' breach. 'Condoning and being complicit in the slaughter of tens of thousands of people strikes at the core of us as far as human beings and what our country stands for,' he said, pointing to the fact that the United States pours roughly half its discretionary budget into war related spending. 'If you spent half of that money making lives better around the world, I think there'd be a whole lot less friction.' Invoking a parenting analogy, he added: 'You go to a three-year-old who goes around hitting people and you say 'Use your words.' There's issues between countries but you can work them out without killing.' A longtime critic of Zionist policy, Cohen last year joined prominent Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the pro Zionist lobby AIPAC. 'I understand that I have a higher profile than most people and so I raise my voice, it gets heard. But I need you and others to understand that I speak for millions of people who feel the same way. War in Gaza began after the October 7, 2023. Retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable. Gaza is at 'critical risk of famine,' with the entire population facing a food crisis after more than two months of an aid blockade, and 22 percent facing a humanitarian 'catastrophe,' a UN-backed food security monitor warned this week. — AFP
