Democratic congressional candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost said Friday he was arrested Thursday while taking part in a voters' rights march in Washington.
Frost, who is running for the seat opening in Florida's 10th Congressional District in Orange County, was arrested, detained, and cited for incommoding during the rally in Lafayette Square, the Washington park behind the White House, according to his campaign.
Frost called it an act of non-violent resistance.
In Washington, incommoding — obstructively crowding parks, streets, or buildings — is a misdemeanor after police tell a crowd to disperse. It's punishable by a fine of up to $250 and or up to 90 days in jail. Frost's campaign said he paid the fine and the charge was dropped.
His campaign said he was among about 200 people arrested.
The arrests were made by the U.S. Park Police, an agency of the National Park Service. That agency did not respond Friday to a request for information from Florida Politics.
Frost and his campaign sought Friday to fashion the arrest — and his participation in the march — as reflecting his commitment to fighting for voters' rights and voting protections.
"I refuse to be complacent when so many across our country are denied the right to vote and choose their leaders," Frost said in a statement released Friday by his campaign.
CD 10, which covers western Orange County, is being vacated by three-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who is running for the Senate.
Other Democrats running in CD 10 this year include Sen. Randolph Bracy, former State Attorney Aramis Ayala, the Rev. Terence Gray, civil rights lawyer Natalie Jackson, and teacher Teresa Tachon. Republican candidates include nonprofit executive Willie Montague and Mahendranath Troy Rambaransingh.
The Lafayette Park rally was led by the Rev. William Barber II, cochair of the Poor People's Campaign, and Ben Jealous, former president of the NAACP.
"I walk in the steps of our ancestors who used nonviolent resistance to fight for justice for all people — elders like John Lewis and Ella Baker," Frost added.
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