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June 30 (UPI) -- California Rep. Judy Chu was arrested Thursday along with 180 other people attending an abortion rights protest in Washington, D.C., according to police. "We arrested 181 people for Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding (DC Code § 22-1307) for blocking the intersection of Constitution Avenue, NE and First Street, NE," the U.S. Capitol Police confirmed on Twitter.
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The department said it issued three warnings for the protestors to move before it began making arrests.
The intersection Chu and her fellow demonstrators occupied was symbolic, located just feet from the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol grounds.
"The decision to march today was easy -- I came out to march for the young rape survivor, the woman who cannot afford to travel to another state to access critical care, the mother with an ectopic pregnancy whose life is in danger," Chu wrote on Twitter.
Her account also showed a picture of the 68-year-old from Los Angeles being handcuffed by police officers. The photo was posted with the caption: "I'm not backing down-not now, not ever."
Chu, the first Chinese woman voted into Congress, was first elected in 2009.
"When I first heard Roe was overturned, I immediately thought of who would be most harmed by this decision," she said in a statement Thursday.
"So, when I think of all these women -- and more -- the decision to join in a peaceful demonstration to make clear we will not allow the clock to be rolled back on abortion rights was easy."
