Right to protest: Judge dismisses some of charges against Inauguration Day protesters

A District of Columbia judge dismissed the most serious charges of felony rioting in the trial of six people arrested during protests on Inauguration Day last January. The judge found no evidence that the six incited others to destroy property. Among those who had these charges dismissed was photojournalist Alexei Wood who brought a medical kit to the protests and was filmed washing out the eyes of people suffering from pepper spray. (Vice News, December 13, 2017, by Alex Lubben and Tess Owen)

Critics of the charges including the DC Legal Posse are concerned that the government is pursuing “political prosecutions” that could have a chilling effect on protests. There are also concerns about the mass arrests sweeping up journalists and other observers along with protesters and the lack of specificity in the charges. One hundred and eighty-eight people still face charges for alleged transgressions during the protests. (The Nation, October 20, 2017, by Chip Gibbons)