US Capitol Police arrest Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty in voting policy protest in Senate building

Beatty and other protesters also reportedly chanted for ending the filibuster.
Rep. Joyce Beatty arrested in Washington DC.
By Nicholas Sherman

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty was arrested Thursday in the Hart Senate Office Building after leading a group of protesters into the building.

Beatty had said she was protesting in a march to the Senate building for voting rights for black women, according to Fox News.

Later she tweeted a statement supporting her demonstration, calling it "getting in good trouble, defending voting rights." 

"I stand in solidarity with Black women and allies across the country in defense of our constitutional right to vote. We have come too far and fought too hard to see everything systematically dismantled and restricted," she added.

The arrests occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m., Capitol Police told Fox News. Police officers told the demonstrators to stop three times before they arrested them and took them away in zip-ties. Two males and seven females were then taken to USCP Headquarters for processing, according to the official.

The protesters also chanted "end the filibuster," which has faced Democratic criticism recently since Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has used the filibuster to stall Democrat-backed voting bills in the Senate.