Press release via email:
Six members of the grassroots organization 99Rise disrupted the nation’s highest Court this morning, issuing a series of statements protesting recent court rulings that facilitate enormous increases in campaign spending by a tiny fraction the wealthiest 1%. Protestors rose one by one to deliver their statements to the Court, demanding they “Reverse McCutcheon and overturn Citizens United,” before raising their index finger in the air, a gesture signifying “one person, one vote” political equality. They were detained and arrested by court security.
“The Supreme Court is deeply complicit in the corruption of our democracy,” said Belinda Rodriguez, who participated in protest. “Their McCutcheon and Citizens United rulings have allowed corporations and billionaires to essentially buy our elections with unlimited sums of campaign cash, silencing the vast majority of voters. We’re here to send a message that the American people won’t stand for it.”
2012 and 2014 were the most expensive elections in U.S. history, with more money spent by fewer deep-pocketed donors than every before, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Candidates who raise the most money win election or reelection in over 90% of races.
The protest comes on the heels of two previous displays of civil disobedience organized by 99Rise and one day before the first anniversary of the Court’s McCutcheon v. FEC decision, which removed aggregate spending limits for individual campaign donors. Rallies led by a number of pro-democracy organizations are being planned across the country to protest the decision. Huge majorities of the American public have polled in favor of reducing the influence of money in politics.
“We’re taking a stand against the idea that money can buy our democracy,” said Rodriguez. “Equal representation means having an equal voice. Currently, a tiny fraction of the nation’s wealthiest 1% have excessive representation in our government because of the legalized bribery that the Supreme Court has allowed. We’re here to show that the other 99% of us are not afraid to resist this fundamental corruption using nonviolent civil disobedience.”
99Rise is a social movement-building organization waging nonviolent struggle to get money out of politics and reclaim democracy for all Americans. Their previous Supreme Court disruptions mark the first time video has ever been captured from inside the chamber.
Supreme Court Protestors, Age, State:
Belinda Rodriguez, 24, FL
Richard Saffle, 33, WV
Mattew Kresling, 41, CA
Yasmina Mrabet, 27, DC
David Bronstein, 27, DC
Darrell Prince, 38, NY