Thousands protesters rally outside Capitol Hill against big money in politics

Thousands of protesters rallied on Sunday outside the Capitol Hill in the U.S. capital city of Washington, D.C. against big money in U.S. politics.

The mass mobilization was aimed at protesting the undue influence of money in U.S. politics and barriers to voting and urging U.S. Congress to pass laws which would ensure all Americans have a fair voice in elections, said organizer Democracy Awakening, a coalition consisting of over 260 organizations.

"Our democracy should be about big ideas, not big checks," said Dan Smith, Democracy Campaign director from U.S. Public Interest Research Group, one of the over 260 groups that supported Democracy Awakening.

"Right now, our campaign finance system encourages candidates and lawmakers to spend their time courting mega-donors and special interests while everyday voters are left on the sidelines of our elections," he said.

The three-day event, which started on Saturday featuring a rally, teach-ins, lobbying and civil disobedience, was part of a broad movement that began on April 2, when coalition group Democracy Spring launched a march from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C..

On the heels of the 16-mile march, Democracy Spring on Monday launched a week-long sit-in protest outside the Capitol Hill, prompting mass arrests by Capitol police.

Adam Eichen, deputy communications director for Democracy Spring, said over a thousand protesters were arrested for what Capitol police called "unlawful demonstration activity" during the week-long protests.

The majority of them were released on the same day of their arrest. Endit