George Clooney And Father Arrested for Protesting at Sudanese Embassy

George Clooney Arrested for Protesting at Sudanese Embassy

Actor George Clooney and his father were arrested on Friday during a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy. The actor claimed to have asked President Barack Obama to engage China in stopping a humanitarian crisis in northern Africa.

The protesters accuse Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir of provoking a humanitarian crisis and disallowing the entry of food and aid to Nuba Mountains in the county's border region.

George Clooney and his father, Nick Clooney, and others were apprehended after being warned three times not to cross a police line outside the embassy. Those who were arrested include NAACP President Ben Jealous, Martin Luther King III, and actor and comedian Dick Gregory.

Several members of Congress also were arrested, handcuffed and placed into a U.S. Secret Service van, including Massachusetts Reps. James McGovern and John Olver, Texas Rep. Al Green and Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia.

The arrests came after Clooney met with President Obama, testified in the Senate and attended a state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Before he got arrested, Clooney announced that he wasn’t sure if his actions would make a difference but that at least he made a move to make people aware of the situation. He said he was impressed, though, with Obama's engagement on the issue.

"It's amazing to sit down with a world leader who knows all of the intricacies of what's going on in Sudan," he said.  Clooney said international leaders need to investigate the “flow of money” towards Sudan's leaders in order to expose corruption.

"This is a moment where we have a chance to do something because if we don't, in the next three to four months, there's going to be a real humanitarian disaster," Clooney said before his arrest. “The situation is urgent,” he said, “because the upcoming rainy season would block transportation of food aid to the area.”

The Clooneys were released several hours later after paying a $100 fine.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Saturday March 17 2012, 4:40 AM EST. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0