Clooney, Rep. Al Green arrested at protest

George Clooney, center, and Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., left, are led to a police vehicle after being arrested during a protest at the Sudan Embassy in Washington. George Clooney, center, and Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., left, are led to a police vehicle after being arrested during a protest at the Sudan Embassy in Washington. Photo: Cliff Owen Photo: Cliff Owen Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Clooney, Rep. Al Green arrested at protest 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON - Houston Rep. Al Green was arrested Friday in a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington along with actor George Clooney and human rights activist Martin Luther King III.

Green was one of four Democratic congressman placed in handcuffs by the Secret Service, along with the Oscar-winning actor, his father, Nick, NAACP President Ben Jealous and activist-comedian Dick Gregory. They were later released.

Clooney organized the sidewalk drama to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, where he spent eight days before telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the widespread famine and "indiscriminate bombings" he had witnessed.

Clooney told The Associated Press before he was arrested that he can only hope to draw attention to the crisis in Sudan.

The actor said he asked Obama to involve China more in pushing for a solution in Sudan. He said international leaders need to "follow the money" flowing to Sudan's leaders 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.

Green lauded Clooney for shining a spotlight on turmoil in Sudan, saying the actor had "brought back empirical evidence of the famine in Sudan."

"Actions like these to prevent humanitarian crises usually start with one person, and (Clooney) has been that one person," Green said.

The Texas lawmaker said King, a close friend and son of the civil rights icon, called the issue to his attention and was arrested alongside him Friday.

The arrest "was a small price to pay to save lives, even if it saves one life," Green said.

The protest was aimed at Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir for preventing aid and food from reaching the Nuba Mountains, the border region between Sudan and breakaway region of South Sudan.

Last July, South Sudan seceded from Sudan and since then the fighting has escalated along the border in the region of South Kordofan, where the Nuba Mountains are located. The heated dispute between the black African rebels and the Arab-dominated Sudanese government has erupted into open warfare, with local populations victimized in aerial bombings, ground attacks and sexual violence.

King said he is using his voice to raise awareness throughout the world of the situation in South Sudan.

"There is not enough of a world outcry on this," he said. "We need to mobilize the world around this issue."

sharanya.shankar@chron.com