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Redistricting Activists Walk 36 Miles To Capitol, Where They Were Arrested

Katie Meyer
/
90.5 WESA
Activists, some dressed like the character from the "Where's Waldo" books, walked three days to the Capitol building in Harrisburg, where they were eventually arrested for blocking a hallway.

Several activists were arrested Monday while blocking a hallway during a rally at the state Capitol.

Many had just finished a three-day walk from Lancaster to Harrisburg—the second one they’ve done this year.

The group’s goal is to call attention to stalled bills that would ban gifts to lawmakers and seek to make the redistricting process less partisan.

The walk to the Capitol was 36 miles, and temperatures fell below freezing at times.

But when the March on Harrisburg group reached the Capitol, their energy was high

Several members dressed in the red stripes of children’s book character Where’s Waldo—a dig at House members, who had canceled their regular session day for an informal nonvoting session.

Rachel Brewer, of national anti-corruption group Represent.US, called out Republican House State Government Committee Chair Daryl Metcalfe in particular.

“To work with Representative Metcalfe and all of the state legislators of Pennsylvania, we have tried doing it the right way,” she said. “We’ve made calls, attended town halls—we’ve done all that we can for months.”

It’s up to Metcalfe’s committee to move proposals that would ban gifts to lawmakers, and create an independent citizens’ commission aimed at making redistricting less partisan.

Metcalfe didn’t respond to a request for comment.