“We prayed in public today because the cries of the people who will be hurt by this immoral budget must be heard,” Wilson-Hartgrove told RNS in a text message, after he and Swayne were released from police custody. “I’m not sure why some citizens are allowed to pray in the Rotunda and others can’t, but I pray as part of my pastoral responsibilities.”
Asked about the discrepancy, a Capitol Police spokesperson said they were unfamiliar with the Feucht event but said it was likely approved ahead of time, “especially if a member of Congress was involved and if it was after hours when the building was generally closed to the general public.”
Barber, meanwhile, was met by police as he marched toward the Capitol with a group of clergy and others from the Supreme Court. He was eventually allowed into the Rotunda, but only after dozens of officers were positioned outside the entrance to the historic room before he arrived.
Despite the intensity of the response, Barber said he is unmoved and plans to continue demonstrating — and praying — in the weeks to come.
“Just as Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, so we have to be willing to put our bodies on the line,” he said. “I pray that impacted people will (come) — again, not to go to get arrested, but to arrest the attention of the nation.”
This article originally appeared here.
, an action he said would be part of a recurring series of demonstrations aimed at challenging the Republican-led budget bill.){kind=link}