It was raining money on Capitol Hill on Thursday after protesters showered in bills to protest agriculture giant Monsanto.
The group gathered at the Senate Hart building on Capitol Hill to renounce the company and “corporate lobbying during the shutdown,” according to a release from the Organic Consumers Association. Protesters proceeded to dumb bags of money on the floor, leading to their arrest.
“Lobbyists scurrying to grab dollar bills is an apt metaphor for what’s happening during the shutdown,” the release said. “They are here meeting with the Congresspersons they supported financially during the elections to create or protect federal laws that boost their profits.”
The protest, which included members of Occupy Monsanto, was designed to mimic a similar act conducted by Abbie Hoffman on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Originally, protesters were supposed to dump the cash on the X-ray machines set up in the building, but instead they opted for the floor as passersby and Capitol police gathered to watch the bills float to the ground.
Shouting “Monsanto money!” activists protest #Monsanto and GMOs at Hart Senate Office Building pic.twitter.com/sTL06l2vRV
— Jared Gilmour (@jaredgilmour) October 10, 2013
Lieutenant Kimberly Schneider told The Washington Examiner in a statement the three protesters were arrested in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building and used real money.
“They were charged with ‘Crowding, obstructing and incommoding’ under D.C. Code 22-1307,” she said. “All three arrestees are being processed at USCP HQ, 119 D Street, NE.”
After the incident, Capitol Police quietly proceeded to gather the bills and place them into brown evidence bags.
Watch the protest here, courtesy of The Washington Examiner’s Charlie Spiering:
And see Capitol police sweep up the bills:
