Walter Fauntroy, a former Democratic U.S. congressman from the District of Columbia, is trapped in a Libyan hotel by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, reports
Business Insider.
Fauntroy, a Baptist minister who was a nonvoting member of Congress as D.C.’s delegate to the House from 1971 until 1991, traveled to Libya a week ago on a mission trip. He and dozens of journalists became trapped at the Rixos hotel after pro-Gadhafi forces took over the building. The hostages have not been allowed to leave the hotel and have been subject to occasional sniper fire, according to news reports.
“Right now, we are in a precarious situation with some of our friends from the media, because we fear that unless we are able to relocate, we may all be in danger,” Fauntroy said in an interview with the Telegraph.
Fauntroy, a civil rights leader in the 1960s, was a close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and acted as the Washington coordinator for the 1963 March on Washington. He hopes to be able to return to Washington for the dedication of the new King memorial on Sunday.
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