HOUSTON – Congressman Al Green, who represents the 9th Congressional District of Houston, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, who represents Fort Bend County in District 27, and Michael Cooper, the NAACP Beaumont Branch leader, were arrested while protesting Tuesday in Washington.
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According to a news release from Reynolds’ office, Green, Reynolds, Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and Texas pastors including Bishop James Dixon, President Houston NAACP Branch and Dr. Freddie Haynes were protesting at the U.S. Capitol.
Reynolds told KPRC 2 that all three men who were arrested were charged with civil disturbance - obstructing traffic.
Reynolds said the arrests happened after the planned protest was ending and the group headed toward the Supreme Court across the street. That’s where he said they were detained by Capitol Police.
Green’s office shared video on his social media of his arrest.
#GoodTrouble #NecessaryTrouble pic.twitter.com/enR4Y0hjbv
— Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) August 3, 2021
Reynolds’ office said they were at the U.S. Capitol for a planned rally with National Clergy United for Justice advocating for the U.S. Senate to pass federal voting rights legislation.
Reynolds said he will continue speaking truth to power and making good and necessary trouble to preserve the fundamental right to vote for millions of Texans.
“I stand on the shoulders of giants who came before me that made tremendous sacrifices to end Jim Crow laws that disenfranchised blacks and Hispanics from voting,” a statement from his office read. “We are dealing with the fierce urgency of now, and I will not stop fighting until Congress passes HR1 For the People Act and HR4 John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act”.
Reynolds is currently serving in his sixth term as State Representative of House District 27.