An official statement from the Capitol Police reported 34 arrests for “Crowding, Obstructing, or Trespassing (DC Code § 22–1307).” “This arrest count includes 16 members of Congress,” they tweeted. In an earlier tweet, Capitol Police said protesters “have begun blocking First Street, NE” and that “it is against the law to block traffic, so officers will give our standard three warnings before making arrests ». The demonstration came in the wake of the high court’s painful decision last month to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark decision that offered constitutional protections to abortion care. Since then, a series of congressional hearings have been held on the impact of the Supreme Court decision, as many Democrats and abortion rights groups have called on Congress to act. In a statement shared on her website after her arrest, Rep. Maloney claimed she had been arrested and told supporters: “There is no democracy if women are not in control of their own bodies and decisions about their own health, including of reproductive care. I am privileged to represent a state where reproductive rights are respected and protected — the least I can do is put my body on the line for the 33 million women who are at risk of losing their rights. “The Republican Party and the right-wing extremists behind this decision are not pro-life, but pro-control of the bodies of women, girls and anyone who might become pregnant. Their ultimate goal is to enact a national abortion ban. We will not let them win. We will be back.” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about her arrest with an accompanying video of the moment. Rep. Omar also shared a video of the arrests, tweeting to her followers that she will “continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the attack on our reproductive rights!” Rep. Adams’ staffers tweeted on her behalf after her arrest, confirming that she had been arrested for “protesting abortion rights and reproductive justice at the Supreme Court.” Mission spokesman Ricardo A. Sanchez also released a statement confirming her arrest and that “more information will be shared as it becomes available.” Also Tuesday, Rep. Speier tweeted that she was “proud to march with my Democratic colleagues, including members of the @DemWomenCaucus, and stand up for women’s rights, abortion rights, people’s rights to control their bodies and the future and Democracy!” Representative Bush tweeted after her release that “the Supreme Court will not stop us.” “Although we have been arrested, we will not stop organizing, agitating and legislating for justice. We were understood,” he said.
