Moral Monday Activists Arrested Protesting SAVE America Act

WASHINGTON — August 3, 2026 — Members of a diverse coalition of faith leaders and activists from across the nation led by nationally renowned civil rights leader and Repairers of the Breach President Bishop William J. Barber II were arrested Monday morning following a demonstration inside the Hart Senate Office Building following Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) refusal to meet with the group to hear their strong opposition to voter suppression outlined in the so-called SAVE America Act as well as multiple other issues currently being considered by Congress. 

 

The direct action was part of the launch of the 100 Days; 1,000 Marches to the Polls voter mobilization initiative organized by Repairers of the Breach and the Moral Monday Public Pulpit. 1,000 marches to the polls across the United States ahead of Election Day, November 3, 2026. 

 

“We are not supposed to turn a deaf ear and look the other way at injustice,” said Barber. “We are called to be in the public square, as it says in scripture, to go down to the leader's house and offer a vision of justice and love not rooted in what’s left and right but what is right and wrong.” 

 

“We don’t need a march on Washington. We need to march to the polls in the states to change Washington.” 

 

Barber said the initiative's goal is to mobilize 5 million low-wage voters and at least 1 million Black men, particularly in the South and battleground states, utilizing peer-to-peer text messaging, grassroots phone banking, door-to-door canvassing, and more, in addition to the marches to the polls. 

 

CLICK HERE to view Monday morning’s direct action and arrest. 

 

CLICK HERE for video of Monday’s news conference launching the 100 Days; 1,000 Marches Initiative.

 

In addition to Repairers of the Breach, partners in the 100 Days; 1,000 Marches to the Polls initiative  include:

 

●        African Methodist Episcopal Church

●        African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

●        Am Kolel

●        Cedar Lane

●        Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

●        Common Cause

●        Five Church Collaborative

●        Foundry United Methodist Church

●        Franciscan Action Network

●        Freedom Road

●        Institute for Policy Studies

●        Luther Place Memorial Church

●        Mark Thompson / Good Trouble

●        Metro D.C. Synod (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

●        MinuteMarshals

●        Movement Infrastructure Project

●        National City Christian Church

●        National Council of Churches

●        National Low Income Housing Coalition

●        New York Avenue Presbyterian Church

●        North Carolina Council of Churches

●        North District African Methodist Episcopal Church

●        Poor People's Campaign (DC)

●        Presbyterian Church (USA)

●        Red Letter Christians

●        Saint James Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

●        Sojourners / SojoAction

●        The Freedom Center

●        Third Act (DC MD VA)

●        United Church of Christ

●        Washington Interfaith Network

CLICK HERE for more information about the 100 Days; 1,000 Marches to the Polls voter mobilization initiative.