Over 50 Young People with the Sunrise Movement Arrested at Schumer’s DC Office for Peacefully Demanding New Leadership and an End to the Filibuster

By Press Release from The Sunrise Movement on November 12, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

Photograph courtesy of the Sunrise Movement

54 young people, including eight Californians, were arrested on November 12 after sitting in at Chuck Schumer’s Senate office demanding a new Senate Majority Leader and the abolition of the filibuster, which wealthy corporations and their political allies use to block expansions of healthcare, unions, and green jobs. Another 150 visited all Senate Democrat offices, delivering a statement calling on Democrats to abolish the filibuster in order to deliver on the economic populist agenda that propelled them to historic victories last week. Sunrise warned that Democrats could lose in 2028 unless they force Trump to veto popular legislation or negotiate concessions, both of which will be harder to achieve if the filibuster remains in place.

The following young Californians were arrested:

“I am here because my future is on the line. We need leaders who will take bold action to support healthcare and not war.” – Aviva Branoff, 22, of Albany, CA

“I’m getting arrested because bought-off politicians like Chuck Schumer aren’t doing anything to save our democracy or planet. I should be in school right now, but young people cannot wait on the sidelines.” Ámela Amago, 18 of Berkeley, CA, High Schooler

“Now is the time for our elected representatives to take action. We need them to be responsive to constituents, not just in their words, but in their votes. They must vote to support young people’s interests and not just the wealthy few. To make a change, we need a new Senate Majority Leader and to end the filibuster. We want a Green New Deal, and we need Democratic leadership to fight for that.” Raquel Zeleznick, 26, of Tustin, California, Graduate Student

“Democrats have promised for my entire life to right the wrongs of the increasingly extremist right-wing movement in the country, yet look where we have ended up. I want my senators to know that young Americans across race and class are clamoring for, begging for, finally taking a stand for change. I want my senators to take a bold and brave stand for me and all young people.” Mitchell Crispi, 26, of Los Angeles, California, Self-Employed Small Business Owner

“I’m being arrested because as a young person who fought for Democrats to win the midterms, I will not stand for Chuck Schumer’s lukewarm agenda. Anyone who’s paying attention would know that he’s not going to be the guy to meet the moment.” – Gabriel Mouleart, 22, Placentia, CA, Social Media Manager

“I’m here because the moment calls for bold Senate leadership that will fight for a safe planet, an end to forever wars, and young people’s future. Time and time again, Chuck Schumer shows he is beholden to oil donors, war profiteers, and billionaires in his active encouragement of genocide.” Madison Roth, 21, Student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

“I traveled from California to our nation’s capital because I want my voice heard. I’m calling on Senators Padilla and Schiff to stand behind the American people and not the political establishment. We need new leadership that can take stands for future generations, such as supporting a Green New Deal and Medicare for all. Chuck Schumer needs to go.” Max Hoffstadt, 20, Junior and elected student representative at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

“We need a leader who listens to young people, not corporate lobbyists. We need a leader who pushes for popular positions like Medicare for all, a green new deal, and ending the wars. He needs to give us proof that he will fight for the values of the millions of Americans who gave the Democratic Party their majority in the Senate.” – Wes Swanson, 20, Cal Poly Student

“I participated in this sit-in at Schumer’s office because our generation knows what needs to be done: we must end the filibuster and remove moderate Democrats who work with fascists to prevent climate legislation, healthcare, and laws that fight for working people from being passed. My future is at stake here, and this is the least I can do.” Cori Lopez, 21, Senior at CSU Monterey Bay

Sunrise Movement made nearly one million voter contact attempts in key states like Michigan, Maine and Texas and helped swing young people by 40 points to Democrats. They turned out young voters using a populist message of putting working people over corporate control of our government and job-killing, climate crisis-fueling data centers.

“Chuck Schumer has been in Congress longer than I have been alive. Young people voted in droves for change in this country. We voted for an end to the Iran oil war, to stop financing the genocide of Palestinian people, for green jobs, not endless data centers and a Congress that finally delivers for its people and stops the climate crisis. We won’t get that with has-been leadership and a logjam filibuster,” said 28-year-old Sunrise Movement Executive Director Aru Shiney-Ajay.

The movement elected its largest class of Green New Deal champions last week with 24 candidates, including Sunrise Movement co-founder Will Lawrence, previous board member Abdul El-Sayed, and incoming Senator Troy Jackson.

TAKE ACTION by emailing your Senators to urge them to chuck Chuck Schumer. Use this link to send a message: smvmt.org/chuck

SUPPORT THESE BRAVE YOUNG PEOPLE by donating to their jail fund at the link https://bit.ly/schumerbail