On April 11, thousands of people joining the Democracy Spring movement began a 140-mile walk from Philadelphia to Washington DC. People from at least thirty-three states have travelled to join the protests. Throughout the week, over 900 people have been arrested with little to no violence between the police and the protesters. In fact, many people intended to get arrested and even pledged to do so in order to make a statement. The arrests were on terms of crowding and obstruction, which are misdemeanors punishable by a $50 fine.
The protests concern money in politics, especially the Supreme Court ruling of Citizens United. It allows politicians to fund their campaigns via super PACs, to which anyone can donate any sum of money. The effects of political donations are viewed as to have corrupt influences on American politicians, especially legislators and presidential candidates.
Among those arrested include actress Rosario Dawson and host of The Young Turks, Cenk Uygur. Even presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig joined the protests and was arrested. He expressed excitement at all the different sorts of people he saw in the movement, and was surprised at his own arrest. "I'm a law professor. I don't get arrested." He felt that this was an exhibition of the American people becoming aware of how much of an issue money in politics is and that it is causing the gathering of so many sorts of people, not just "geeks and intellectuals."
Not only was this a gathering of people from different locales and ethnic backgrounds, but Democracy Spring saw people from all sorts of political backgrounds as well. Even though the issue of money in politics seems to be more popular among liberals, and many of these protesters were Bernie Sanders supporters, many conservatives, including the conservative group Take Back Our Republic, also share concern and make this a bipartisan issue.
The Democracy Spring movement has expressed many things about American political culture and the potential future of American politics. Firstly, it reminds us that not all police officers are as violent as the ones we see in cases of police brutality. In fact, most are just people trying to do their job and protect the people. Cenk Uygur talks about how the police are also "part of the 90%," and that they are part of the working class and whose interests ultimately align with many of the protesters, despite being a mechanism of the government.
Moreover, the passion and dedication of the American people to travel out of their state in order to join a protest lasting for weeks and consisting of mostly walking and sit-ins is astounding. Many of the people slept in churches or in tents along the march, still clinging to their signs. It shows how far spread this issue is, and the willingness of people to unite and to endure in order to make their statements and get their message across.
Finally, the diversity of the people further exhibits the odd sense of unity Americans experience despite our many differences. We are a people of many races, ethnicities, classes, religions, occupations, and ideologies, but we will unite when it is necessary. We may all dispute on other issues, but the overwhelming sense of unity on the issue of money in politics legitimizes its looming threat and shows that Americans are able to fight for change. It is a beautiful use of our right to assemble, given by the Bill of Rights. People will unite against a greater evil, only this time, it is not a person, but a system and many people. We are able to facilitate change
