26 Protesters Arrested for Disrupting the Sessions Hearing!

January 10, 2017 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

The confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, did not go as hoped for, or planned, for these imperial politicians. Time and time again the hearings were disrupted—by a broad array of fighters from many different movements and sections of the people who came together with the same common determination to denounce Sessions’ appointment and these hearings.

Even before Sessions had a chance to open his mouth, he was greeted by two hooded ‘members’ of the Ku Klux Klan with big foam sports ‘hands’ declaring their full support for Sessions, joined by others from Code Pink (see interview with Medea Benjamin). All of them were dragged out of the chambers and arrested. Shortly after that, Carl Dix, an initiator of RefuseFascism.org, and another activist with RefuseFascism stood up and declared for all to hear: “No Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA! Millions must pour into the streets to prevent Trump-Pence from taking power. RefuseFascism.org.” Dix was followed by two other groups of organizers with the RefuseFascism movement who stood up and continued: “NO Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA!” They too were hauled out of the room.

But the people were not done. Again the hearings resumed, getting back to the ‘solemn’ process of putting their rubber stamp of approval on this pig. Once again, this time people chanting “Black Lives Matter” stood up, one after another, and raised signs and made statements as they were escorted out of the room. And still later, seven people involved with the regional organization CASA Latino stood up and called out Sessions’ anti-immigrant attacks, including his threats that people of the Muslim religion should be treated as suspects, his support for the Klan, and more. On January 14, protests are planned against Trump’s threat to immigrants in 22 cities across the country.

And at the same time that the hearing was taking place, a group of Howard University students, from the NAACP Chapter and members of Democracy Spring—with the support of the Howard University Student Association—took over Sessions’ nearby office and were arrested and dragged out when they refused to leave. In all, 26 protesters were arrested for refusing to allow the fascist regime’s first appointment to be sanctified without a message being delivered that for millions of people in this country, this approaching horror is unacceptable.

In addition, on the day before this hearing, Reverend William Barber, the top official of North Carolina’s NAACP, led a march of 500 people speaking out against Sessions’ appointment before delivering a petition against Sessions to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. Barber said that “Sessions’s immoral record shows consistent support for ideological extremism, racist and classist policies, and the writing of discrimination into laws.”

The impact of all of these different expressions of opposition and resistance have delivered a powerful challenge to the hearings as a whole. They make clear that many different and growing sections of society are awakening to the danger, the horror represented by the Trump-Pence regime and are compelled to speak out, and to act with courage and daring to oppose, resist, and do all they can to stop Sessions.

 

 

 

 

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