Over half a dozen members of Congress were arrested on Oct. 8 at an immigration rally in Washington D.C., including Charles Rangel (D-NY),, Raul Grivjalva (D-AZ), Jan Schakowsky (D - IL), and John Lewis (D-GA).
Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), and Al Green(D-TX), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) were also arrested, reported Huffington Post reporter Elise Foley.
The rally was held on the National Mall, which was shut down because of the partial government shutdown, because of 1st amendment claims.
Thousands of people joined in the rally and march to urge Congress to pass an immigration bill that would in part allow the people living in the U.S. illegally to apply for U.S. citizenship, reported the Washington Post.
Los Tigres del Norte performed at the rally, which turned into a march toward the Capitol building, where at least 100 people were reportedly arrested after sitting in the street.
Gustavo Torres, head of Casa de Maryland, and a range of immigration lawyers, labor activists, and others were also taken into custody.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke at the gathering, telling people that “The blood of immigrants flows through all our veins.”
The march and gathering was called “Camino Americano: March for Immigration Reform.” It was scheduled to run until 6 p.m.
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