HOUSTON – Eight people were arrested in downtown Houston Wednesday while protesting the Senate's vote against the American Jobs Act proposed by President Obama.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Mickey Leland Federal Building on Smith Street where Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has a Houston office. Hutchison was among the Republicans -- and two Democrats -- who voted against the jobs bill.
When the protesters entered a glassed-in corridor that leads inside the federal building, police ordered them to leave.
Eight people ignored the officers' warnings, and after an hour-long standoff, they were arrested and loaded into a police van.
All eight protesters are facing criminal trespass charges.
Police formed a skirmish line to clear out the rest of the chanting crowd. Officers on horseback also helped keep the crowd under control.
Many of the protesters are out of work themselves.
"I have been out of work for almost a year," said one woman. "I am a single parent of four kids and it’s been really, really hard."
"I feel like they should have voted yes, we need those jobs," said another. "There’s a lot of people out here looking for jobs that haven’t been able to find jobs. We need those jobs and they’re not doing anything to help out."
"I feel like it’s going to be the best thing for Houston, Texas," said another protester. "It’s going to bring 8,800 jobs just here in Houston, so I feel like it’s going to do a lot."
Most of the protesters were from the group "Good jobs, Great Houston."
The organizers knew the holdouts would be arrested, but said their goal was to make sure their voices were heard.
