D.C. Man Sues Over Arrest for Playing ‘Imperial March’ Behind National Guard Members

"The law might have tolerated government conduct of this sort a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but in the here and now, the First Amendment bars government officials from shutting down peaceful protests," reads the lawsuit.

By Danielle Han  |  October 27, 2025 | 1:03pm
Photo: Getty Images Politics
D.C. Man Sues Over Arrest for Playing ‘Imperial March’ Behind National Guard Members

Welcome back to Monday Barf Bag.

If we were in the Star Wars universe, Donald Trump and his allies would—by their own admission—serve the Galactic Empire (aka the bad guys.) In May, the White House posted an AI-generated photo of the president wielding a red lightsaber, a tell-tale sign of villainy. Then speaking to GOP senators last week, the president asked “Darth” to “stand up, please” before revealing that Darth Vader is his nickname for Russell Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget. (Star Wars fans were quick to ask, if Vought is Vader, does that make Trump Emperor Palpatine!?)

But apparently the National Guard didn’t get the “we’re the baddies” memo. Sam O’Hara, a 35-year-old man from Washington, D.C., began playing the “Imperial March” around members of the National Guard when he saw them in his community, after Trump deployed them to the nation’s capital in August. He followed several feet behind them, and most people found the protest amusing, including members of the National Guard. But in September, Ohio National Guard Sergeant Devon Beck took the song choice personally—and threatened to call the city’s police if O’Hara didn’t stop. He followed through, and the officers handcuffed O’Hara for “harassing” the members of the National Guard. 

On Thursday, O’Hara and the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Beck and the members of the D.C. police who arrested him, saying that they had used unnecessary force, and violated his constitutional rights, as the arrest prevented him from continuing an act of peaceful protest. According to the lawsuit, O’Hara had only “us[ed] his phone and sometimes a small speaker,” and played the music at a “volume that was audible but not blaring.” He posted his efforts on TikTok, which reveal pretty much exactly what he claims. 

“The law might have tolerated government conduct of this sort a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” the lawsuit says, “but in the here and now, the First Amendment bars government officials from shutting down peaceful protests.” (Cue the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn nodding in approval.)

After his release, O’Hara wasn’t charged for any crimes. But his arrest comes at a time when federal forces are, at the command of Trump, running rampant in Democrat-led cities like Chicago and Portland, Oregon, and a troubling pattern of peaceful protesters being arrested is emerging—from inflatable cosplayers to woodwind musicians. In D.C., more than 2,000 troops remain, due to the president’s claims that the city is plagued by crime (despite the Department of Justice reporting a 30-year low in violent crime rates).

To quote Obi-Wan Kenobi… I have a bad feeling about this.

  • Kamala Harris soft-launched a 2028 bid??? (BBC News)
  • So did Gavin Newsom. (New York Times)
  • A new book excerpt revealed Trump called Mike Pence a “wimp” on Jan. 6. (The Hill) 
  • Free Press staffer Olivia Reingold posted then deleted what I presume was an attempt at satire: a video of her insulting herself, in John Oliver drag. I guess she’s still mad about his segment on Bari Weiss a few weeks ago? [BlueSky]
  • Pam Bondi revealed her next prosecution target is Rep. Nancy Pelosi. (The New Republic)
  • At least one watchdog org wants a bigger investigation into border czar Tom Homan’s conflicts of interest and ethics violations—given the time he got caught getting a CAVA bag stuffed with $50,000. (ProPublica)
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture is set to withhold billions of dollars for SNAP funding if the shutdown reaches Nov. 1, a decision that will impact tens of millions of people. (The Hill) 
  • Here’s five other ways the shutdown will get worse. (Politico)
  • Graham Platner—the once-promising oyster farmer running for the Democratic nomination to face Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)—just lost another major staffer. Fallout from “got a Nazi tattoo while drunk”-gate? [New York]

 
Join the discussion...