The Poor People’s Campaign: ‘Poverty Is Violence’

On Sunday, the Revs. William Barber II and Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign, kicked off six weeks of nonviolent direct action in Washington, D.C. The group has planned 40 days of actions in more than 30 states that will confront poverty, racism, ecological devastation, the war economy and the United States’ distorted moral narrative. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

“Somebody’s hurting our people, and it’s gone on far too long.” The Rev. Dr. William Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, speaks about the movement’s agenda of fundamental human rights at the kickoff meeting in Washington, D.C. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, calls on society to see the predicaments of the most vulnerable and to halt the destruction of America’s moral vision. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

“Did you know that currently 53 cents of every federal discretionary dollar goes to military spending and only 15 cents is spent on anti-poverty programs?”—from the Poor People’s Campaign agenda.  (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

Launch events for the movement were held in more than 30 cities. In Washington, D.C., events were staged behind the U.S. Capitol. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

“Did you know 13.8 million U.S. households cannot afford water?”—from the Poor People’s Campaign agenda. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

People from 37 states traveled to Washington, D.C., and many were later arrested in a nonviolent act of civil disobedience. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

Callie Greer from Selma, Ala., gave her testimony —her cry, as she called it—about losing her daughter to cancer due to a lack of health insurance. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

“It’s a national disgrace that there are 14.7 million children and 6.5 million extremely poor children in the United States of America—the world’s largest economy.” (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

Linda Sarsour, co-chair of the Women’s March, center, and the Rev. Liz Theoharis (with bullhorn) lead hundreds of activists toward Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., where they were met by a police line. More than 250 were arrested. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The Rev. William Barber (in purple) repeatedly told officers, “I want to go to Independence!” referring to the street where organizers had planned to stage a sit-in. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

“The time has come to stand together and make a national call for a moral revival.”— The Poor People’s Campaign agenda. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The Revs. William Barber II and Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign, were stopped by dozens of police officers, who closed down the street and refused to let the marchers pass. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

From left to right, Liz Theoharis, William Barber, Linda Sarsour and evangelical minister Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

An officer issues the standard three warnings to “clear the street or you will be arrested.” (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The first week’s theme is “Somebody Is Hurting Our People: Children, Women and People with Disabilities in Poverty.” The group ADAPT, a grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action and to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities, has joined the Poor People’s Campaign. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The police line. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The first group of activists moments before their arrest. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

“Many Americans appear to have forgotten their own values and become blind to the needs of other human beings, even those they may still hold in their hearts.”—The Poor People’s Campaign  Audit of America. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

Three of the co-chairs of the Women’s March, Linda Sarsour, center, Carmen Perez and Bob Bland, are taken into police custody. Chapters of the Women’s March from all over the country have joined the Poor People’s Campaign. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, an evangelical minister, is arrested. Wilson-Hartgrove has been targeting “distorted Christian nationalism” after hearing William Barber preach.  (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

With protesters penned in on the Capitol grounds,  police set up a booking and processing area. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

More than 250 people were arrested in Washington, D.C. Nonviolent civil disobedience took place in more than 24 cities nationwide. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

​One of those arrested suffered from dehydration and heat exhaustion, as temperatures reached more than 80 degrees. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The Rev. William Barber continues to deliver the movement’s message while he and other protesters wait to be processed after arrest. (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)

The movement’s organizers say the Poor People’s Campaign will be one of the largest waves of nonviolent protest and direct action in national history, largely motivated by the plight of 140 million Americans living on or below the poverty line. “This is not a matter of left-right. Or Democrat-Republican. This is a matter of right and wrong.” (Michael Nigro / Truthdig)