Support West Michigan J20 Arrestees

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Over the weekend of Donald Trump’s inauguration, thousands of people from all regions converged in the streets of Washington, DC, and unleashed countless, diverse displays of resistance against the white supremacy, xenophobia, and fascism legitimized by Trump’s election. Some victories were won, and many bonds were strengthened that will be crucial in the coming years resistance.

Unfortunately, the increased repression that many expected to take hold under the Trump administration began on Day One. According to the DC National Lawyers Guild:

A total of 222 people were arrested under felony ‘incitement to riot’ charges that carry the possibility of ten years of incarceration and a fine of $25,000 if convicted. Breaking with the last decade of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) practice, police ‘kettled’ (i.e., indiscriminately surrounded and arrested) a group of people at 12th and L Street NW in violation of DC Code § 5–331.07, which prohibits mass arrests and requires law enforcement to give dispersal warnings. MPD also needlessly deployed tear gas, pepper spray, concussion grenades, rubber bullets, and batons. Despite the media’s focus on isolated incidents of property destruction, MPD indiscriminately targeted people for arrest en masse based on location alone.

Three comrades from West Michigan were among the hundreds taken in the mass arrest and are now facing these draconian felony charges.

Beyond the seriousness of the charges and the emotional drain of a potentially long court battle, there is a heavy financial burden, including legal fees and substantial travel expenses; each arrestee will need to make separate trips from West Michigan to DC and back for multiple court dates.

As a gesture of solidarity, please make a financial contribution via this online fund-raiser. Help our comrades stay free and continue the fight.

In Solidarity,
– Grand Rabbits Support Crew