NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman was arrested outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday along with more than 20 other people as part of a protest over voting rights.
The Democratic congressman from New York was released from police custody Thursday night, his office said in a statement.
Marcus Frias, a spokesman for Bowman, said the congressman was proud to stand alongside activists and “will continue doing everything he can to amplify the urgent need to protect our democracy.”
U.S. Capitol Police said in statements on Twitter that the protesters were blocking a barricade and were given three warnings but were arrested after refusing to move from a driveway. The department said 27 people were arrested for obstructing and one person was arrested for violating a traffic regulation.
Bowman’s arrest came the same day that voting rights legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders have said is essential to preserving democracy failed in the U.S. Senate.
Bowman is a former middle school principal who in 2020 defeated 16-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel in a primary contest before winning election to New York’s 16th Congressional District, representing the Bronx and suburban Westchester County.