Kasım İleri
13 April 2016•Update: 21 April 2016
By Kasim Ileri
WASHINGTON
Hundreds of protesters marched Tuesday to the U.S. Capitol for a second straight day to denounce the role of money in politics.
A crowd of 300 demonstrators marched from Union Station to the Capitol building a few blocks away, while carrying signs such as “money out of politics,” “end corruption” and “one person one vote.”
Demonstrators from the Democracy Spring campaign began marching April 2 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Washington DC, nearly 220 kilometers (150 miles), where they arrived Monday.
Demonstrators are demanding that lawmakers pass campaign finance reform laws that to prevent donations, especially from big money donors, from playing crucial roles in elections politics.
More than 400 protesters were arrested on the first day of demonstrations during a sit-in on the steps of the Capitol.
Supported by dozens of leftist organizations, the second day of protests resulted in at least 90 arrests after the group declined to obey commands by Capitol police to clear the area.
Unlike Monday, however, police did not handcuff protesters but removed each protester from the site and issued individual tickets.
“We are trying to take the money out of politics,” Christopher Reed, a 29 year-old protester, told Anadolu Agency.
She said the lack of media interest in the protests indicates that corporate media makes a lot of money from politics.
“It’s not in their interest to take money out of politics.” Bill Savor said he would risk arrest for the sake of democracy and fair elections.
“It’s worth to fight this battle and possible lose your own liberty,” he said.
“I was arrested yesterday and I have never felt such American before.”
Samantha Benjamin, in her sixties, protested to raise her voice for her grandchildren. “I have two grandchildren, I am here for them,” she told Anadolu Agency. “We have so much corruption in our country.”
Demonstrations are scheduled to continue throughout the weekend, with organizers hoping it culminates with a huge rally Monday.
The leading Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, are outspoken critics of the role of money in political campaigns.
Billionaire Donald Trump, who is financing his own campaign, has accused Hillary Clinton of taking donations from big companies through super PACs, or political action committees.
Clinton, whose super PACs has raised more than $62 million, fashions herself the most committed to fighting campaign finance reform.
Sanders, Clinton's rival on the Democratic side, has criticizing the former Secretary of State for accepting six-figure speaking fees before Wall Street institutions.
Sanders has refused to take money from super PACs.
