Congress Members, City Council Speaker Arrested At DACA Protest Outside Trump Tower
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Three members of Congress and the speaker of the New York City Council have been arrested at a protest outside Trump Tower.
U.S. Reps Raul Grijalva, of Arizona, Luis Gutierrez, of Illinois, and Adriano Espaillat, of New York, were among a small group of demonstrators who sat down in the street on Fifth Avenue Tuesday afternoon and refused to move.
BREAKING: NYers rally & face arrest @ Trump Twr w/ @RepEspaillat @RepGutierrez @RepRaulGrijalva @MMViverito demanding #DREAMAct! #heretostay pic.twitter.com/kuWIE0XKLg
— Make the Road NY ???? (@MaketheRoadNY) September 19, 2017
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was also handcuffed and led away.
"It was worth it. I mean, I've done civil disobedience across many years. I have been an activist and an elected official, and you understand that that's part of it," Mark-Viverito said.
The protesters were demanding that Congress pass legislation protecting thousands of young immigrants from deportation.
Community members & Elected Officials getting arrested in front of Trump Tower @RepEspaillat @RepGutierrez @RepRaulGrijalva @MMViverito pic.twitter.com/qqoSngNjRB
— New York Communities for Change (@nychange) September 19, 2017
Protest organizers had said prior to the event that the lawmakers planned to get arrested.
Speaker @MMViverito is placed in custody after an act of a civil disobedience calling on #Trump to work with Congress to pass the #DreamAct pic.twitter.com/rAq4N55lPF
— william alatriste (@willalatriste) September 19, 2017
President Donald Trump delivered an address at the United Nations earlier Tuesday.
Speaker @MMViverito @EspaillatNY @RepGutierrez @RepRaulGrijalva join immigrant #NYers in front of Trump Tower to demand a clean #DREAMAct. pic.twitter.com/JNCgLc1eKU
— NYC Council (@NYCCouncil) September 19, 2017
He is scheduled to stay at Trump Tower this evening, but wasn't present for the protest.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)