Democracy Awakening Brings Activism to D.C .

This weekend, thousands of people spilled into the nation’s Capital to mobilize around the Democracy Awakening events. Protestors rallied and marched on the Capitol to demand Congress to act to restore integrity to our political process.

The Democracy Awakening events highlighted the corruption of big money in politics, concerted efforts of lawmakers to roll back on voting rights throughout the country, and the empty vacancy on the Supreme Court. Advocates gathered from every corner of the country to bring awareness around these issues and to demand Congressional action to address their impact on all Americans.

The Saturday events included a number of panels, workshops, and teach-ins about how barriers to the political process affect other key issues. The teach-ins and workshop discussions aimed at equipping participants with the information about how democracy issues intersect with other important causes like the environment, criminal justice reform, and the labor movement. They also presented participants with an opportunity to apply these discussions to tangible solutions they could take home to their states and cities.

On Sunday, a massive rally took place at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, which turned into a march around the Capitol Building and ended at Union Station. The rally featured speeches from a number of organizations and leaders in the civil rights and democracy community, including Cornell Brooks, President of the NAACP and Dolores Huerta, cofounder of the United Farm Workers Union. The rally also included chants and music from Sweet Honey in the Rock, among other performers.

Monday’s events included both a direct action and lobby day on Capitol Hill. Protestors gathered at Union Station and then marched to the Capitol Building through streets the police had blockaded. At the Capitol Building, protestors split off; those participating in the direct action made their way onto the Capitol steps, where police officers issued a series of three warnings before arresting individuals and escorting them off Capitol grounds. In all, over 300 protestors were arrested as they marched onto the Capitol steps chanting for Congress to take action on restoring legitimacy to our political process, including Project Vote’s president, Michael Slater.

It was a privilege to participate in these events on the behalf of Project Vote. At the same time, I was incredibly impressed with the sheer number of individuals who traveled great distances and took time out of their every day lives to demand a democracy we can all believe in. I was moved by the number of advocates and organizers who work on a daily basis to improve the political process in their local communities. Coming off the energy of this weekend’s events, my hope is that it does not stop here, as there is so much work ahead to improve our democracy to ensure each American’s voice is heard by our lawmakers.