Protesters Are Awesome: A 14-Year-Old Occupier Gets Arrested in Iowa—and Her Dad Approves

The Iowa caucus is three days away, and protesters have been bringing some Occupy Wall Street spirit to the heartland's political circus. The occupiers aren't partisan; they've been targeting Ron Paul (for his socially conservative views), Mitt Romney (for his corporate ties), and most recently, the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters (for the corporate influence that affects the entire U.S. political process). There, the tone has turned serious: Twelve protesters were arrested there Thursday, including one very determined, very bad-ass 14-year-old girl.

The teen had duct tape over her mouth and a sign saying she represented all children, a group whose voices often get swallowed up in periods of political turmoil—although they've been representing this week in Iowa. The girl may only be in the ninth grade, but she's already been arrested multiple times for sticking to her ideological guns, including at a messy Occupy Des Moines crackdown in October. The best part? Her dad isn't worried about her arrest going on her permanent record. "I'm actually proud of her for standing up the way she did," he said. Us too.