Rosario Dawson Arrested at Washington, D.C. Protest, Says Police Acted "Really Lovely"

The Sin City actress commented about her participation in the demonstration

By Corinne Heller Apr 16, 2016 10:58 PMTags
Rosario Dawson, Democracy Spring ProtestThe Young Turks

Rosario Dawson was recently arrested at in Washington, D.C. after taking part in a Democracy Spring protest and appeared to be in good spirits during her encounter with police.

The group has been staging a sit-in at the U.S. Capitol to protest the role of big money in politics and restrictive voter identification laws. Dawson, 36, was issued a $50 citation for crowding, obstructing or incommoding after crossing police lines, ET reported. She is one of more than 400 demonstrators arrested this week and 

In a video posted on the YouTube page of the online news show The Young Turks, the Sin City actress smile as a police officer appears to remove something from her hands and motions for her to move to a certain area, amid a crowd of protesters, many of whom chanted in unison and held up signs. Some demonstrators are also seen standing with their arms bound by white plastic ties issued by officers, who carry several of them clipped to their belts. 

Dawson was also photographed standing with fellow protesters, raising a fist in the air, flashing a peace sign and holding up a sign that reads, "Overturn citizens united."

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

"Where we sat down actually ended up being a little bit further away, so we ended up getting told multiple times that we were going to be arrested and then they walked away," Dawson, who wore a Young Turks T-shirt, said in a video posted on the show's Facebook page. "I think there was maybe a desire to not particularly maybe have me arrested because they didn't want that to be put out there. So we got up when they walked away and we sat down and we were arrested. I wanted, for me, personally, to be in solidarity with the other folks who put themselves on the line and also just to bring attention to this."

"The police were really great with us and really lovely," she said, adding that "that is not the case for so many people," such as Black Lives Matter activists.

 

She said she and the other protesters are "putting ourselves on the line for what a lot of people across America and I think across the planet really want to be able to see happen in America, which is one person, one vote and to really take the money out of politics so that we can have fair elections where real progressives and people can be going up and running for office and be seen and we can have true options for our leadership."

Dawson also posted photos and videos from the protest on Instagram.

A video posted by rosariodawson (@rosariodawson) on

"So glad to join #DemocracySpring in #DC. #DCStatehood #RestoreTheVRA #VoteTogether #NotMeUs #MoneyOutOfPolitics #WeThePeople #ThePeoplesHouse #VotersNotDonors," she wrote.

D Dipasupil/WireImage
D Dipasupil/WireImage

Dawson was back in full politics mode Saturday; She took part in a march for Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in New York City. She had also taken part in a campaign event for him earlier this week.