West Potomac Students Support House Democrats’ Sit-In on Capitol Hill
(Courtesy Emma Bass and Liz Brodie) House Democrats at the steps.
From Wednesday, June 22 to Thursday, June 23, House Democrats initiated a sit-in on the floor of the House Chamber in a protest for gun control legislation. The sit-in came only a little over a week after a mass shooting at Pulse Night Club in Orlando that killed 49 people, and two days after the Senate voted down several gun control measures.
The sit-in garnered attention all over social media, especially after C-SPAN cameras were turned off due to protocol, all the while the event was still streaming on Periscope via congressmen’s Twitter accounts and across various platforms. People from across the region and the District flocked to the Capitol to witness the event, which included demonstrations on Capitol Hill and in the city.
West Potomac 2016 graduate Emma Bass and senior Liz Brodie decided to witness the events for themselves, and took a trip up to D.C. to see the House Democrats in action.
“[Upon arriving in D.C.] we went to the plaza outside [the Capitol] to see what was happening. We saw the disarm hate protestors and went to listen, and a guy that was shot at [2007 Virginia Tech shooting] talked,” said Brodie.
In the midst of the demonstration, Democrats began to file out on the steps outside the Capitol Building, led by Rep. John Lewis (D), who led the sit-in. Lewis, who spoke at West Potomac in March, addressed the crowd as they all began to sing “We Shall Overcome.” The House Democrats shook hands and Brodie had the opportunity to thank them as well.
“Normally I’m fairly on the outside of [political demonstrations] all [besides] maybe just retweeting stuff,” she said. “But the opportunity was presented and this was really historic, so I decided I wanted to be a part of it. Everything has escalated so much that I just cannot be quiet.”
For many spectators, the demonstration on Capitol Hill was a historic moment and a chance to voice their opinion on a highly divided topic.
“I just felt a great sense of unity because we all believed so strongly in a similar cause,” said Bass.
