Woman Arrested After Live TV Interview for Exercising First Amendment Rights
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as soon as I finished an interview speaking on Venezuela, I was arrested," the 22-year-old preschool teacher told Zeteo.
Photo: Youtube/13 ON YOUR SIDE Politics
It’s times like these that I miss the U.S. Constitution.
On Saturday, 22-year-old preschool teacher Jessica Plichta was arrested live on camera in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after speaking to ABC News’ WZZM to condemn the U.S. for abducting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“Maduro was elected by the people,” Plichta, who wore a red jacket and keffiyeh, told the cameras. “He is for the people and the people want to see his return. Free Maduro.”
“We have to apply pressure at all points that we can, this is not just a foreign issue,” she continued. “It’s our tax dollars are being used to commit these war crimes. It is also the duty of us, the people, to stand against the Trump regime, the Trump administration, who are committing crimes both here in the U.S. and against people in Venezuela.” Moments after she finished her interview and the camera light shut off, she was approached by two officers who told her to put her hands on her head. “I am not resisting arrest,” she said, as the officers grabbed each of her arms with the microphone still in her hand.
According to Plichta, after officials arrested her, they drove down the street, then stopped to pull her out, bend her over the vehicle, pat her down, and take her belongings, allegedly for “making a scene.” She says officers repeatedly pressed her on whether she was Venezuelan or what her connection to Venezuela was, why she was at the protest, and who the other demonstrators were. Apparently, wanting to exercise your First Amendment rights is no excuse to…exercise your First Amendment rights
Plichta was held in the Kent County Sheriff’s Office for about three hours. According to WZZM, she was arrested for “obstructing a roadway and failure to obey a lawful command.” On Monday, a spokesperson for the police department told Alternet that officers were told “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,” the statement read. Again, weird choice of words for someone who’s saying it’s not OK to just kidnap a world leader. If convicted, Plichta could face 90 days of jail time and/or a $500 fine.
“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,” Plichta explained to Zeteo on Monday. She continued: “It just shows how much they [police] feel they can get away with things, how easy it is for them to isolate people from the public eye when they’re doing this.”
Before being arrested, Plichta also told WZZM she had recently returned from Venezuela, where she attended the People’s Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty of Our America summit. As a member of the Grand Rapids Opponents of War and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, she also helped organize the event.
Speaking after the incident, Plichta said she “wasn’t surprised, just disappointed” by the events. “When people are exercising the right to protest in a world full of escalating violence, it’s jarring to have the police work against you.”
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