Protester: ‘They weren’t listening otherwise; we’ve got to do something’

The 43 people arrested in the “Add the Words” protest this morning were processed in a 4 ^th floor conference room of the Capitol, then released with misdemeanor trespassing citations. Asked what their fine will be, protester Hilary Rayhill, 46, said, “We’re going to go to court.” She arrived at the Capitol about 8 a.m., she said; she was released, and escorted out of the Capitol by a polite, friendly ISP trooper, just after 11:30 a.m. Asked if she thought what she did was worth it, Rayhill said, “Sure – they weren’t listening otherwise. We’ve got to do something.”

ISP said the protesters agreed to be escorted out of the building after being issued their citations; they’re then free to re-enter the Capitol, but not to disrupt proceedings, and they agreed to those conditions.