C-SPAN Defies Paul Ryan’s Sit-In Blackout With Streaming App
The House speaker's move to shut the public out of the Democratic gun control protest backfired when the public interest cable channel began broadcasting live footage from the House chamber. Meanwhile, social media are adding fuel to the fire.
Members of Congress join Rep. John Lewis on the floor of the House (John Nichols / Twitter)
Members of Congress join Rep. John Lewis on the floor of the House (John Nichols / Twitter)
As members of Congress got comfortable on the floor of the House on Wednesday to protest a lack of action on gun control legislation, House Speaker Paul Ryan moved quickly to block any footage of the protest, ordering C-SPAN cameras in the room turned off. But that didn’t stop the public interest cable channel, which is broadcasting live video footage shot by Rep. Scott Peters on the popular streaming app Periscope.
C-SPAN has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras. Now showing a @periscopeco from @RepScottPeters. pic.twitter.com/L3JeHuSdL5
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 22, 2016
Apparently, Ryan’s decision to turn off C-SPAN just added fuel to the fire. Politicus USA reports:
As soon as Ryan turned off C-SPAN’s cameras on the House floor, interest in the protest grew exponentially. Democrats on the House floor are hearing that Republicans are getting nervous about the protest, but they are afraid to give in. Republicans fear that giving in for the Democrats’ demand for a vote on gun control would lead to more problems for them later.
Politicians have taken to Twitter to share their sentiments with the hashtag#NoBillNoBreak:
6 hours+ into the gun violence sit-in w/ @repjohnlewis. We will #holdthefloor until we get a vote #NoBillNoBreakpic.twitter.com/96xWR5rvbX
— Robin Kelly (@RepRobinKelly) June 22, 2016
Yes, that is @SenWarren sitting in with @repjohnlewis& House members to say #NoBillNoBreak.https://t.co/Ad3azG2cBepic.twitter.com/HR7pzZxacn
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) June 22, 2016
We are sitting in because we refuse to stand by while Americans die from senseless gun violence #nobillnobreakpic.twitter.com/tSOklMuHKh
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) June 22, 2016
A protest has also begun to gather steam on the Capitol steps:
What do we want? Gun safety! When do we want it? Now! #NoBillNoBreak#holdthefloorpic.twitter.com/kgX6bjgOAB
— AFT (@AFTunion) June 22, 2016
Crowd still growing! Come stand up for responsible gun regulations! #NoBillNoBreak#StopGunViolencepic.twitter.com/FjP7PkALaT
— Wesley Thompson (@EssbieWGT) June 22, 2016
Watch live video coverage of the sit-in here.
—Posted by Emma Niles
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Military
The Pentagon budget is not only outrageously oversized, some parts of it are genuinely dangerous.
Military
Despite a 2016 law requiring transparency, the Defense Department is limiting public access to court records in the military justice system.
Politics
Helpful tools to strengthen the efforts of citizen groups in the halls of Congress.
Politics
The official report of the Congressional investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol, featuring a foreword by Ari Melber, makes a compelling case for a sustained and wide-ranging conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
Politics
The committee ends its historic investigation of a failed presidential coup.
Politics
A promise made in the Treaty of 1835 is yet to be fulfilled.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.