Politics
A 2013 arrest resurfaces for Michigan Democratic congressional candidate William Lawrence
The Sunrise Movement co-founder was arrested during a 2013 pipeline protest, an incident the GOP is targeting in a key congressional race.
The short version
- Democratic candidate William Lawrence's 2013 arrest during a protest against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline has resurfaced in the race for Michigan's competitive House district.
- Lawrence, a progressive and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, is challenging incumbent Republican Representative Tom Barrett in a race that could help determine control of Congress.
- The National Republican Congressional Committee has criticized Lawrence for his past activism and social media posts, while Lawrence has defended his environmental actions as a righteous stand.
Key facts
- William Lawrence was arrested in 2013 during an environmental protest against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline after he and others chained themselves to machinery.[Fox News]
- Lawrence and other protesters were charged with trespassing and resisting or obstructing a police officer during the incident.[Fox News]
- Lawrence is challenging Republican Representative Tom Barrett in a pivotal Michigan congressional race.[Fox News]
- In past social media posts from 2020, Lawrence called to defund the police, including a specific post targeting the Lansing, Michigan, police department.[Fox News]
- Lawrence addressed his 2013 arrest in an Instagram video earlier this year, calling his protest a "righteous" stand against Enbridge, though acknowledging it may not have been "wise."[Fox News]
- The National Republican Congressional Committee criticized Lawrence over the arrest and his past climate advocacy, calling him far too radical for the district.[Fox News]