Civil rights icon has brought his star power to gun control debate, leading a rare sit-in on the floor of the House in the wake of worst shooting in the US history that claimed 49 lives this month in Orlando.
“Social media told our story,” Rep. Lewis (D-GA) said as he called to an end the 25.5 hour sit-in. “We must never give up or give in and we must come back here on July the 5th more determined than ever before,” he said, emerging from more than 24 hours of sit-in.
Along with other Democrats, Lewis pressed the point that America could no longer delay a vote on gun control legislation that prevents weapons from falling into wrong hands.
While the power went off, Lewis and other lawmakers used live streaming via social media to put the message across, mixing the old protest mode with new technology.
Speaker Paul Ryan called the sit-in as political stunt in the election year.
The Capitol Hill has failed to come up with a bipartisan legislation to enforce stricter gun control, despite calls from the civil society and Democratic pressure. Democratic and Republican legislators have so far stuck to their party positions in the election year.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has said that Democratic lawmakers, who staged a 24-hour sit-in were making their voices heard, while exercising their right to free speech and to expression peacefully.
“Democracy can be messy; democracy can be dramatic at times,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters when a journalist questioned the mode of protest.
“I’m very careful not to speak for any member of Congress, a group or individually… And as we say with respect to different issues around the world when I get up here and I talk about democratic freedoms elsewhere, we believe that freedom of expression is important, and the ability to have your voice be heard.
The sit-in, which began on Wednesday, was ended on Thursday as Congress was recessed till July 5.
“We must come back here on July 5th [when Congress returns to session] more determined than ever before,” Lewis said.
