Final answer:
Claudette Colvin was arrested by police officers after refusing to give up her seat in the white section of the bus, predating Rosa Parks' similar act. Parks' arrest later escalated into the Montgomery Bus Boycott, becoming a significant event in the civil rights movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus, a sign of the racial segregation that existed in Montgomery, Alabama, during that era. Unlike Rosa Parks, Colvin's case did not become as widely recognized, partly due to her being a pregnant, unmarried high school student at the time. However, her action was one of the catalysts for the civil rights movement and the eventual Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Police officers removed Claudette Colvin from her seat by forcibly arresting her after the bus operator signed a warrant because she was sitting in the white section of the bus and refused to move. This incident demonstrated the challenges faced by African Americans under Jim Crow laws and the systemic power dynamics at play. Eventually, Rosa Parks' similar act of defiance would lead to a more extensive mobilization of the African American community and support from NAACP leaders, igniting a significant protest against racial segregation on public buses.