Drop the Charges Against Protestors

More than 75 people have been unjustly prosecuted for offenses related to protesting since the mass arrest at the July 3, Justice for Jayland Walker protest. These charges range from disorderly conduct to failure to disperse and rioting. This legal pursuit by the city has disrupted the lives and threatened the safety and stability of every arrestee.

A number of those charged were not involved in the protest. Many individuals were picked up while driving or walking downtown or to their homes during a time that was not widely understood or broadcasted to be curfew.

These charges must be dropped if there is to be any hope of reconciliation and community healing.

As we continue to grieve the killing of Jayland at the hands of the Akron Police Department, Akron city leadership have continued to shield the eight officers responsible. In lieu of any action from leadership to rein in the police department’s rampant violence, the APD has continued to target, stalk, harass, and in some cases, arrest and beat those who have spoken out.

Organizers are making the following demands of city leadership:

  1. Drop all charges brought against the protestors.

  2. Secure the expungement, sealing, and otherwise clearing of the records of all those who were arrested on protest-related charges.

  3. Arrange for the return of all fines, fees, and property taken from those arrested.

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