On July 19 (local time), several members of the US Congress, including Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Alma Adams and others, were arrested by Capitol Police outside the Supreme Court building. They were arrested for participating in an abortion rights protest.
Capitol Police had warned the protestors
US Capitol Police made it clear on their Twitter account that it was against the law to block the traffic, and officers were giving standard three warnings before taking any action against the protestors.
Demonstrators are starting to block First Street, NE.
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) July 19, 2022
It is against the law to block traffic, so officers are going to give our standard three warnings before they start making arrests. pic.twitter.com/GBaz4wk8Lx
In the follow-up Tweet, they mentioned that some of the protestors were refusing to get out of the street. Thus they started making arrests.
We have already given our standard three warnings.
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) July 19, 2022
Some of the demonstrators are refusing to get out of the street, so we are starting to make arrests.
As per their Tweets, a total of 35 arrests were made using DC-Code 22-1307 (Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding. Out of these 35 people, 17 were members of Congress.
Correction: We made a total of 35 arrests for Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding (DC Code § 22–1307).
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) July 19, 2022
That arrest number includes 17 Members of Congress.
Video of AOC’s ‘arrest’ left netizens amused
The office of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) published a video of her ‘arrest’ where she was holding her hands behind her back, appearing as if she had been handcuffed. However, the video left netizens amused as she was apparently only pretending to be handcuffed. In reality, she was only being taken away by the Police officers, and it appeared the way she held her hands on the back was only for the photo-op.
Today, Rep. AOC was arrested along with other members of Congress outside the Supreme Court for protesting in support of abortion rights. #AbortionRightsAreHumanRights pic.twitter.com/gvj9J1o5ic
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) July 19, 2022
In the 16-second video, AOC was seen being taken away by the Capitol Police. Her hands were at the back, and a Police Officer was holding her from the elbow. This is the standard way how Police take away someone who is handcuffed. However, at the 10-second mark in the video, AOC raised her right hand-closed fist to greet the supporters, possibly out of excitement as they were cheering. Her action made it clear that she was not handcuffed but only pretending.
Twitter user Chris Abraham said, “Extremely abusive. Why do much clothing? It’s 95°F and humid during a sunny DC summer day. AOC fakes being handcuffed after arrest at abortion rights protest.”
Extremely abusive. Why do much clothing? It’s 95°F and humid during a sunny DC summer day.
— Chris Abraham (@chrisabraham) July 20, 2022
AOC fakes being handcuffed after arrest at abortion rights protest
https://t.co/nUmPYNOkKk
Advocate & Philanthropist Adam Milstein said, “Fake it ’til you make it, right AOC? Publicity stunt: US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared to fake being handcuffed while protesting today at the Supreme court, Cortez raised her right arm and waved to the crowd.”
Fake it ’til you make it, right AOC?
— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) July 19, 2022
Publicity stunt: U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared to fake being handcuffed while protesting today at the Supreme court, Cortez raised her right arm and waved to the crowd. pic.twitter.com/S16S4X8wzi
Netizens lashed out at Omar for appearing only for a few minutes
Ilhan Omar also shared a video where she allegedly pretended to be handcuffed. In the tweet, Omar wrote, “Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow Members of Congress outside the Supreme Court. I will continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the assault on our reproductive rights!” In the video, she was visibly smiling the whole time.
Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow Members of Congress outside the Supreme Court.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 19, 2022
I will continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the assault on our reproductive rights! ✊🏽pic.twitter.com/rpFYOGBDf4
However, towards the end of the video, in the very last second, she also raised her arm to greet the people making it clear that she was not handcuffed. She was called out by netizens for reaching late that too, for a short span of the protest.
Ilhan Omar pretended to be handcuffed when she was escorted away from the Supreme Court: pic.twitter.com/NnhZXw7Hcf
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) July 19, 2022
Twitter user George said, “*today I was escorted off the premises of the Supreme Court building, because I’m terribly misinformed and I’m misleading Americans, so I faked being in handcuffs for the photo-op. There I fixed it.”
*today i was escorted off the premises of the Supreme Court building, because im terribly misinformed and im misleading Americans, so i faked being in handcuffs for the photo-op.
— george (@georgelarsonh_t) July 20, 2022
There i fixed it
Author and columnist Tim Young wrote, “It’s about 92 degrees in DC today… Ilhan Omar and AOC were basically the only “protesters” out in the heat in long sleeves not breaking a sweat at all… because they literally only showed up for a minute to get a photo op pretending to be arrested.”
It’s about 92 degrees in DC today… Ilhan Omar and AOC were basically the only “protesters” out in the heat in long sleeves not breaking a sweat at all… because they literally only showed up for a minute to get a photo op pretending to be arrested.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 19, 2022
They think you’re stupid.
Twitter user Caleb Hull said, “Police brutality is so widespread and real that AOC and Ilhan Omar had to fake that they were handcuffed.”
Police brutality is so widespread and real that AOC and Ilhan Omar had to fake that they were handcuffed
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) July 19, 2022
The Abortion Rights Protests
The abortion rights protests have been happening outside the Supreme Court building since a draft of the opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked to the media. In the final opinion that was released in June, Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned where the High Court had stated that abortion was a constitutional right.
