Ellison on why he got arrested.

Posted at 5:45 PM on April 27, 2009 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison spoke with MPR's Tom Crann this afternoon to explain why he decided to get arrested at a protest in Washington D.C. Ellison was attending a protest outside of the Sudanese Embassy to criticize the Sudanese president for alleged atrocities in the country and for expelling 16 aid agencies from Darfur. Police asked the members of Congress and activist leaders to leave after they spoke on the steps of the embassy to a group of local activists and Darfuris. The police arrested them when the protest continued.

Here's the interview with Ellison:

Listen

Minnesota Republican Party Chair Ron Carey called Ellison's action a publicity stunt.

"Nobody can condone genocide but as a member of Congress, I think Congressman Ellison has the responsibility to be a role model and set an example. What does it say to other citizens when you have a congressman who is blatantly on purpose violating the law?"

Here's the list of those arrested with Ellison:

Jim McGovern (D-MA), John Lewis (D-GA), Donna Edwards (D-MD), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) along with Save Darfur Coalition president Jerry Fowler, Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Comments (2)

I'm so proud of Congressman Ellison that I can barely contain myself! Not since we lost Paul Wellstone have a I felt so secure in the knowledge that we Minneapolitans have someone in Washington who will go to necessary extremes to speak for our values.

Sure, he could have just put out a statement to the press or some such nonsense, but this nation has a long tradition of non-violent civil disobedience. From the Vietnam protesters marching on Washington to civil rights activists going to the South to get arrested, we know that our most courageous leaders have risked their own freedom to give voice to those who suffer from our inattention.

Posted by Nicole | April 29, 2009 10:37 AM

I'm so proud of Congressman Ellison that I can barely contain myself! Not since we lost Paul Wellstone have I felt so secure in the knowledge that we Minneapolitans have someone in Washington who will go to necessary extremes to speak for our values.

Sure, he could have just put out a statement to the press or some such nonsense, but this nation has a long tradition of non-violent civil disobedience. From the Vietnam protesters marching on Washington to civil rights activists going to the South to get arrested, we know that our most courageous leaders have risked their own freedom to give voice to those who suffer from our inattention.

Posted by Nicole Adams Blume | April 29, 2009 10:39 AM

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories