Actor George Clooney and several congressmen were arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy today. The arrests were planned and Clooney and the Congressmen were attempting to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan.
Clooney and his father were arrested, handcuffed and placed inside of a squad car. Clooney was protesting the country’s blockade of supplies and humanitarian aide to the impoverished people.
Clooney’s publicist said in a statement published by TMZ,
“They were protesting the violence committed by the government of Sudan on its own innocent men, women and children. They were demanding they allow humanitarian aid into the country before it becomes the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.”
News station NBC confirmed that the others arrested with Clooney were Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), former Rep. Tom Andrews (D-Maine), Nick Clooney (the actor’s father), NAACP President Ben Jealous and Martin Luther King II.
Clooney has since been released from custody on his own recognizance.
The Huffington Post had a conversation right before he was arrested and he made the following statement ,
“The goal for today is the same goal its been all along and will continue to be and not be accomplished today or anytime in the near future, but it’s a job that we have to continually do which is raise attention; protest the idea of a government attacking and killing its own innocent men, women and children and allowing aid to get in now because in the next few months it could be the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world and that’s the important thing.”
Do you support George Clooney and the others arrested?
Watch a video of George Clooney at the scene of the arrest.
