15 Protesters Arrested in Office of U.S. Rep. Barney Frank
PROTESTS
The New Bedford Standard-Times
Courtney Hime
Boston University Washington News Service
September 18, 2008
WASHINGTON – Fifteen advocates for the rights of disabled persons were arrested in U.S. Rep. Barney Frank’s office Tuesday after trying to get his endorsement of their housing agenda.
Randy Alexander, an organizer for ADAPT, said his organization advocates for individuals with disabilities being allowed to live in their communities rather than in nursing homes. The group was in Washington hoping to gain support for their housing agenda, which calls for accessible, affordable, integrated housing, Alexander said.
ADAPT members met in Rep. Frank’s office because they believed the congressman had previously committed to acquiring 500 housing vouchers for people transitioning out of nursing homes and failed on his commitment, Alexander said.
Rep. Frank said the Financial Services Committee never had control over acquiring the vouchers. That responsibility, he said, fell to the House Appropriations Committee.
“To the extent that my committee could vote for the vouchers, we did,” he said, “but I never promised that I would get them.”
Despite the unmet commitment, Alexander said the group was primarily gathering Tuesday for the congressman’s endorsement.
“The folks that went into his office asked for him to support our platform,” he said. “Didn’t ask him to pass anything; didn’t ask for money.”
Bruce Darling, of Rochester, N.Y., was one of the 15 arrested in Rep. Frank’s office. Darling said the group requested to speak to the congressman but were told he was unavailable. When they refused to leave, Darling said the congressman suddenly appeared and began yelling.
“It felt more like he was lecturing us as opposed to looking at the platform,” he said.
Though Rep. Frank said he is in favor of the platform, he said he still told the group to leave because they were being disruptive. When they refused, he asked the Capitol Police to arrest them.
ADAPT members also were arrested in the offices of Sens. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Including the 15 in Frank’s office, a total of 52 persons were arrested.
Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for the Capitol Police, said all of the arrestees were charged with unlawful assembly. While some were held longer than others, all were released on Tuesday.
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