American politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a.k.a. AOC, sparked debate online after she pretended to be handcuffed during an abortion-rights protest outside the Supreme Court.On July 19, the 32-year-old lawmaker, along with Carolyn Maloney, was ushered away by a policeman after she blocked traffic outside the court premises. A viral video shows AOC smirking while holding her hands behind her back in an apparent handcuffed position.Douglas Blair@DouglasKBlair.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court.148532673.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court. https://t.co/F9DOoLq8yJAfter taking a few steps, she raised a fist in solidarity with the protestors before crossing her wrists behind her back again in a handcuffed pose, even though she was not restrained.Several netizens bashed Cortez for faking the pose when law enforcement approached her and Maloney. However, it remains unclear if the Capitol police officer asked her to keep her hands behind or not.AOC's actions outside the Supreme Court fuels intense debate on TwitterAt the time of writing this story, the video of AOC pretending to be handcuffed had garnered 7.2 million views on Twitter. Cortez was slammed for her faux pose, with many netizens calling her out for misleading people during such a serious protest.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸@RepMTG.@AOC so you faked being handcuffed to keep lying to women?Abortion is legal up until birth in NY, but your voters can’t afford groceries and crime is out of control.Desperate isn’t a good look on you.Go back to your Insta makeup tutorials, you’re actually good at those.251866710.@AOC so you faked being handcuffed to keep lying to women?Abortion is legal up until birth in NY, but your voters can’t afford groceries and crime is out of control.Desperate isn’t a good look on you.Go back to your Insta makeup tutorials, you’re actually good at those. https://t.co/LYsQU75ZfBDoctor Fishbones@DoctorFishbonesAOC pretending to be arrested and handcuffed is the most AOC moment of her career132821779AOC pretending to be arrested and handcuffed is the most AOC moment of her career https://t.co/Hc19LUWCtlBenny Johnson@bennyjohnsonAOC PRETENDS to be *handcuffed* in fake arrest protesting Supreme Court -- then raises her fist, breaking her fake handcuffs CLOWN WORLD LOL135023600AOC PRETENDS to be *handcuffed* in fake arrest protesting Supreme Court -- then raises her fist, breaking her fake handcuffs CLOWN WORLD LOL https://t.co/nlvrDHV2Tj영노@yeongno3When a still photo of this gets pulled out in say, 30 years, during an election campaign, to show how radical AOC was in her early days, remember that she wasn’t actually handcuffed. twitter.com/douglaskblair/…Douglas Blair@DouglasKBlair.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court.2096230.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court. https://t.co/F9DOoLq8yJWhen a still photo of this gets pulled out in say, 30 years, during an election campaign, to show how radical AOC was in her early days, remember that she wasn’t actually handcuffed. twitter.com/douglaskblair/…Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸@RepMTGAOC just faked being handcuffed to sell her lie.Democrats are failing so badly, they are now resorting to flat out lying to their voters to try to get them to vote.It’s pathetic!(Part 1/3)64551631AOC just faked being handcuffed to sell her lie.Democrats are failing so badly, they are now resorting to flat out lying to their voters to try to get them to vote.It’s pathetic!(Part 1/3) https://t.co/Iz9t1vQYQ2larkpeep@larkpeepAOC pretending yo be handcuffed is hilarious. Reminds me of her other famous fake photo op twitter.com/douglaskblair/…Douglas Blair@DouglasKBlair.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court.152.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court. https://t.co/F9DOoLq8yJAOC pretending yo be handcuffed is hilarious. Reminds me of her other famous fake photo op twitter.com/douglaskblair/… https://t.co/8ZXlk3FnOnTim Young@TimRunsHisMouthYou guys... @AOC is such a victim that she has to pretend that the big, mean policeman put her in handcuffs...She probably also thinks he wants to date her.3535718You guys... @AOC is such a victim that she has to pretend that the big, mean policeman put her in handcuffs...She probably also thinks he wants to date her. https://t.co/BvBF23BzUpMatt Whitlock@mattdizwhitlockOh my gosh @AOC faking handcuffs. This is too much. twitter.com/douglaskblair/…Douglas Blair@DouglasKBlair.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court.2833291.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court. https://t.co/F9DOoLq8yJOh my gosh @AOC faking handcuffs. This is too much. twitter.com/douglaskblair/…haley o'shaughnessy@HaleyOSomethingaoc pretending to be handcuffed is so funny i can’t stop thinking about how politicians who aren’t in any real danger pose at protests like they’re going to be in history books in 30 years as the leaders of great progressive movements63226aoc pretending to be handcuffed is so funny i can’t stop thinking about how politicians who aren’t in any real danger pose at protests like they’re going to be in history books in 30 years as the leaders of great progressive movementsTim Young@TimRunsHisMouthAOC is such a bad liar that she's pretending to be in handcuffs for a photo op... 🤡🤡🤡 twitter.com/DouglasKBlair/…Douglas Blair@DouglasKBlair.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court.1366246.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court. https://t.co/F9DOoLq8yJAOC is such a bad liar that she's pretending to be in handcuffs for a photo op... 🤡🤡🤡 twitter.com/DouglasKBlair/…However, a few Twitter users hailed the Democrat for representing women's rights outside the US Supreme Court and bashed those stating that AOC "pretended" to get arrested for media attention even though she was protesting against the Roe v. Wade overturn peacefully.白川サミ@MsKawaiiSammy@Arbitrarymagi I mean the explanation is simple the cop said hand behind your back and took her sway not all cops do but hers likely did like leave that woman alone my rep is literally building prisons for abortions providers161@Arbitrarymagi I mean the explanation is simple the cop said hand behind your back and took her sway not all cops do but hers likely did like leave that woman alone my rep is literally building prisons for abortions providersNefarious Filth Bird🌹🇩🇴🇭🇹 🏴🚩@ArbitrarymagiAOC and 17 other reps get arrested doing civil disobedience over the SCOTUS and conservatives and Dore supporters are mocking her lying that she's pretending to be handcuffed. You guys got co-opted by the right.60567AOC and 17 other reps get arrested doing civil disobedience over the SCOTUS and conservatives and Dore supporters are mocking her lying that she's pretending to be handcuffed. You guys got co-opted by the right.Andrew Solender@AndrewSolenderMultiple members of Congress, including @AOC, being arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the Supreme Court in abortion rights demonstration:367587254Multiple members of Congress, including @AOC, being arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the Supreme Court in abortion rights demonstration: https://t.co/fysQN1oBAwJack Cocchiarella@JDCocchiarellaAOC was arrested today for peacefully protesting outside the Supreme Court, but Donald Trump still hasn’t been arrested for trying to violently overthrow the government.Make it make sense.130972793AOC was arrested today for peacefully protesting outside the Supreme Court, but Donald Trump still hasn’t been arrested for trying to violently overthrow the government.Make it make sense.Jo 🌻@JoJoFromJerzAOC peacefully protested for abortion rights in broad daylight and got arrested.Marjorie Taylor Greene plotted a violent coup in the shadows and asked for a blanket pardon.One of them belongs in jail.And it ain’t AOC.121552020AOC peacefully protested for abortion rights in broad daylight and got arrested.Marjorie Taylor Greene plotted a violent coup in the shadows and asked for a blanket pardon.One of them belongs in jail.And it ain’t AOC.Sarmad Faiz@move2strikeWhen Josh Hawley raises his fist, he walks free for seditious conspiracy.When AOC raises her fist, she’s arrested for peacefully protesting abortion rights.1511472When Josh Hawley raises his fist, he walks free for seditious conspiracy.When AOC raises her fist, she’s arrested for peacefully protesting abortion rights.THE SAD TRUTH@SmnWeeklyAOC got arrested for protesting in front of the Supreme Court todayTrump is still free to host a Saudi golf tour event at his golf course after attempting a coup 559 days agoThat’s American Justice?282103AOC got arrested for protesting in front of the Supreme Court todayTrump is still free to host a Saudi golf tour event at his golf course after attempting a coup 559 days agoThat’s American Justice?David Weissman@davidmweissmanLet me get this straight, the Squad, @CoriBush, @AOC, @IlhanMN, and @AyannaPressley gets arrested for exercising their free speech right but Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Jim Jordan who attempted a coup walk free?1366385Let me get this straight, the Squad, @CoriBush, @AOC, @IlhanMN, and @AyannaPressley gets arrested for exercising their free speech right but Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Jim Jordan who attempted a coup walk free?What else happened during the protest? As per The Guardian, lawmakers stood outside the US Capitol on Tuesday, July 19, and chanted phrases like "we won't go back" and "our bodies, our choice."Aside from AOC, some other politicians present in the protest were Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush. They were sitting in the middle of the street when a squad of police authorities surrounded them and announced that they will be arrested for creating an obstruction on the street.Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib@RepRashidaWe wont back down! Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and CPD Action took a stand today against the attack on Women's bodies. We will do whatever it takes to protect reproductive freedom. #MyBodyMyChoice19024We wont back down! Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and CPD Action took a stand today against the attack on Women's bodies. We will do whatever it takes to protect reproductive freedom. #MyBodyMyChoice https://t.co/7NEJbfaf1nAuthorities then began escorting the politicians present there to a location away from the street.Capitol Police reported that out of a total of 35 people taken into custody during the protests, 17 were Congress members.Andrew Solender@AndrewSolenderMultiple members of Congress, including @AOC, being arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the Supreme Court in abortion rights demonstration:372357364Multiple members of Congress, including @AOC, being arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the Supreme Court in abortion rights demonstration: https://t.co/fysQN1oBAwAfter Ocasio-Cortez received criticism online for faking her arrest by a law enforcement official, she took to her Instagram story to address the situation and said: “Republicans’ favorite hobby is to make conspiracy theories out of everything to distract you and keep you from talking about what’s actually important — which is the fact that they are trying to take away your right to bodily autonomy. If I was faking that, why would I intentionally first pump somebody? It’s so silly.”On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which proclaimed a constitutional right to abortion. With the new ruling, abortions have now been banned or are on the brink of being banned in 60 percent of American states.