Washington, DC – Early in the morning on Sunday, November 2, Kristen Bonner, Merawi Gerima, Terra Martin and Christina Murdoch – four community activists and members of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) – were released from MPD custody on the heels of wrongful arrests for using First Amendment rights.
Initial statements from the officers maintained that the activists would be held until Monday, but sustained community support both on site and by phone and social media successfully pressured the cops into freeing all four organizers.
The arrests began around 11 p.m. on Saturday night, when activists from the DC Alliance mobilized to the Navy Yard neighborhood in Southeast DC, to support local Black youth being harassed by MPD and federal officers. Tensions in this particular area had been high since the day before, when federal troops were caught on video attacking community members in the local park. They rose to fever pitch on Saturday, when MPD and Mayor Muriel Bowser released a mandate on an 11 p.m. curfew for youth in the area.
Members of the DC Alliance brought megaphones and cameras in accordance with their First Amendment rights to support the community members and deter police from making any wrongful arrests.
Around 11:15 p.m., police began handcuffing DC Alliance member Merawi Gerima, stating that he had broken the noise ordinance by using his megaphone, even though that charge necessitates warnings before making an arrest. As Alliance member Kristen Bonner went to turn off the “whistle” setting on Gerima’s megaphone, another officer handcuffed them. A third officer then pointed at Terra Martin, who was not holding a megaphone or making noise, but was then arrested with no explanation.
Alliance member Christina Murdoch questioned an officer on the scene on why the other three activists were being arrested, specifically citing that the organizers being arrested were Black; to which he replied by nodding at another officer and having her arrested as well.
After the activists were taken away, community members mobilized to the First District Police Station where they were told the organizers would be held. Officers on site at the station, however, told the crowd that the organizers would be taken to a different location. Staff at the new location revealed that information to be false, and organizers intensified their presence at the original First District precinct location.
This was coupled with using social media to promote a phone zap campaign, which was supported by national organizations such as 50501and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, as well as local organizations like the DC Against the Trump Agenda Coalition (DCATA), Palestinian Youth Movement DMV, and others.
Around 5 a.m., after conversations with attorneys and pressure from organizers on site and over the phones, all four organizers were released back to the community. Additionally, charges that had been levied against the activists – including a felony “Obstruction of Justice” charge – were dropped. The activists reunited with the crowd to joint chants of “Fuck the police! Fuck ICE!” and “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 , 9, 10, 11, fuck 12!”
“There’s 20,000 MPD officers and 700,000 residents in DC,” said Kristen Bonner, “We outnumber them 20 to 1. When we fight back, we win, and when it’s all of us fighting together, there’s nothing they can do to stop us!”
Three of the activists are still facing misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges, while Murdoch faces a misdemeanor resisting arrest charge. All four activists are scheduled for a court appearance on Wednesday, November 19, where organizers and community members have already made plans to pack the courtroom.
“At the end of the day, we were out there to defend Black youth,” said Merawi Gerima, “it doesn’t really matter what bullshit charges they come up with. We keep us safe, we defend our own, and what we’re doing is working, so – fuck the police!”
“We’re gonna continue to take the fight to them,” said Bonner, “We’re not scared of any type of repression they may put on us…the community has our back the same way we have their back, and we’re gonna keep fighting!”
#WashingtonDC #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #DCAARPR #DCATA #PYM
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