Bishop William Barber and two others were arrested while praying in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday (April 28), an action he said would be part of a recurring series of demonstrations aimed at challenging proposed Republican-led budget cuts to important services.
The arrests occurred about 15 minutes after Barber, the Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Steve Swayne, director of St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, started praying in the Rotunda as police stood nearby. The three took turns praying, lamenting potential budget cuts to social safety-net programs such as Medicaid, often chanting together: “Against the conspiracy of cruelty, we plead the power of your mercy.”
After issuing verbal warnings, dozens of officers expelled everyone in the Rotunda — including credentialed press — and shut the doors.
Barber, who struggles with medical challenges that make it difficult for him to stand or walk, told reporters: “To think that we went in to pray — pray against the budget, but to pray nonetheless — and the order now is that, evidently, if you pray, you are seen as violating the rules of the Rotunda. What we hope is that folks will see this and understand that this is the time — now — that we must engage in nonviolent direct action to register our discontent.”
Some have argued that Barber’s arrest undermined Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate so-called anti-Christian bias in federal agencies.
University of Pennsylvania Religion professor Anthea Butler said, “Arresting Rev. Barber and others at the Capitol after announcing a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in government is an absolute travesty. Seems like this administration only wants Christians who are supporters of Trump to have access to pray in the Capitol and express their faith.”
Rev. Paul Raushenbush of Interfaith Alliance said, “The arrest of Bishop Barber feels like the most clear example of hypocrisy of the Trump administration when they talk about anti-Christian bias. They are not interested in the broad expression of faith as exemplified by Bishop Barber, but rather only Christians approved of by the Trump administration.”
It may be worth remembering that when Donald Trump was in his last days as the 45th president, he allowed, and many believe encouraged, a violent attack on our capitol. Those who beat police officers, broke windows, defecated in the building, and threatened specific leaders by name were allowed their menacing mayhem for hours, and those who were sentenced for their brutality were pardoned by Trump 47. But a physically challenged man praying was arrested, handcuffed, and physically removed to spend time in a jail cell. The ordeal left him in pain, but it is unlikely that it will prevent him from continuing his ministry of justice-love.
