Costumes, Singing, Dancing and Arrests Mark Occupy the Courts Protests
A dozen protesters were arrested at the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday as demonstrators protested the Citizens United ruling at courthouses across the country.
The Supreme Court demonstration began across the street from the Supreme Court with demonstrators dressed as justices singing and dancing, according to the Washington Post, the Associated Press and The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. Protesters sang “Chain of Fools” and wagged their fingers at the court, the Post says.
Later, protesters pushed past a police barricade and up the court steps, The BLT says. Police didn’t start arresting demonstrators until an hour later.
The BLT said several hundred people joined the U.S. Supreme Court protest, while the Washington Post said there were about 100 demonstrators. Protests scheduled at 130 locations kicked off a petition drive for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision that held corporations have a First Amendment right to support political candidates.
In Boston, protesters dressed in Revolutionary-era clothing and an auctioneer sold free speech to the highest bidders. In San Francisco, at least 11 protesters were arrested after chaining themselves to the doors of Wells Fargo’s corporate headquarters, AP says. In Minneapolis, a person dressed as a judge married a person and a corporation.
