Martin Luther King III, son of the iconic civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, was arrested while protesting for voting rights in front of the White House on Wednesday.

Iran PressAmerica: He and scores of other protesters were detained before later being released. The reasons for the arrests remain unclear.

The 13-year-old granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr, Yolanda King, gave a speech at the rally.

"As a 13 -year-old and an activist, here is my question to elected officials. Why are you in office? Are you here for power or are you here to stop silence? Or are you here to use your platform for good? If you are here for good, it is time to stop silencing our voices. We need critical bills passed," she demanded.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked legislation to restore parts of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, an effort from the Democrats in Congress trying to chase away Republican measures to wear down easy access to voting, which mainly affects the community of color.

"Since January, our nation and 19 states have chosen to create bills, over 400 now, that makes it harder for people to vote. How many women and men gave up their lives so that we could have the right to vote? I never thought that I would live in a nation that supposedly has a democracy, yet our democratic rights are being suppressed," stated King III.

King was guarded by police officers and then led away towards a tent set up outside the White House. 

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