A Michigan protest organizer was unexpectedly taken into custody on camera over the weekend while criticizing President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela, sparking debate about protest rights and policing.
Jessica Plichta, 22, a preschool teacher and organizer with Grand Rapids Opponents of War, was speaking to WZZM about a downtown Grand Rapids protest when officers walked up behind her and placed her in handcuffs. The arrest captured on video has since been shared widely online.
Plichta had been addressing the media about the weekend demonstration, which was held in response to U.S. military involvement in Venezuela after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
“It’s not just a foreign issue; it’s our tax dollars that are being used to commit these war crimes,” she said during the interview. “It is also the duty of us, the people, to stand against the Trump regime, the Trump administration, that are committing crimes both here in the U.S. and against people in Venezuela.”
The protest, attended by roughly 200 people, took place hours after U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife in Venezuela. Video from the scene shows two police officers approaching Plichta as she wrapped up her remarks. As she was escorted toward a patrol car, she can be heard saying, “I am not resisting arrest.”
Officials later said Plichta was arrested on charges of obstructing a roadway and failing to obey a lawful command from an officer. Police claimed demonstrators had been repeatedly instructed to move off the road and onto the sidewalk before her arrest.
A police department spokesperson issued the following statement to AlterNet following the arrest:
A group was marching in the roadway. Over 25 announcements were made from the PA system of a marked police cruiser for the group to leave the roadway and relocate their activities to the sidewalk. Blocking traffic in this manner is a direct violation of city and state law,” the spokesperson stated. “The group refused lawful orders to move this free speech event to the sidewalk and instead began blocking intersections until the march ended. Patrol officers consulted with their sergeant and the watch commander who informed the officers that if the individuals could be located, they were subject to arrest. The adult woman who was arrested was positively identified by officers, and the lawful arrest was made.
Plichta told Zeteo after her release that she believed the arrest was politically motivated, noting she was the only person detained during the protest. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as soon as I finished an interview speaking on Venezuela, I was arrested — the only person arrested out of 200 people,” she said.
According to reports, she had recently returned from Venezuela, where she attended a peace summit. After her arrest, police reportedly questioned her about her connection to the country and other demonstrators.
The incident has fueled discussion about free speech and law enforcement practices at protests, with critics arguing the arrest raises questions about how authorities handle public dissent.
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