In the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting last week, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are reviving an old protest tactic popular among Occupy Wall Street and college activists: the sit-in.
Led by Georgia congressman John Lewis, a well known civil rights leader, Democratic House members Wednesday began protesting a lack of a vote on gun control measures to deny those on terror watch lists the ability to purchase firearms. The Senate recently considered, and rejected, four such measures.
The Associated Press reports:
Lewis and nearly 50 of his House Democratic colleagues chose to occupy the well—the area of the House chamber where recognized members are allowed to address the body—after the House’s morning business started Wednesday.
Connecticut congressman John Larson, after the morning prayer and pledge of allegience said: “Rise up Democrats, rise up Americans…We will occupy this chamber.”
The Republican member occupying the speaker’s chair, Ted Poe of Texas, ruled that since House Democrats refused to leave the well, the House was not in order and gaveled the chamber into recess. The House also cut off C-SPAN’s cameras to cover the event.
The House is scheduled to go into recess next week.
Life for the minority party in the House is not unlike a perpetual sit-in: The majority rules with an iron fist since the rules are written to give them such power. Votes are structured purposefully to avoid giving the minority much of a chance to sway the outcome of legislation, unless ranks break among the majority. In 2008, when Republicans were in the minority, they staged a similar stunt in protest.
