On Saturday August 4th, SPMI member Emily Roth was arrested at the end of the Kalamazoo anti-fascist demonstration while holding the Socialist Party of Michigan banner in Bronson Park. Emily, along with another counter-demonstrator arrested moments before, was bailed out of Kalamazoo County Jail later that evening and given the trumped-up charge of “interfering.”
Police refused to give an answer when asked what exactly these two counter-demonstrators were “interfering” with, but the answer isn’t difficult to discern. By expressing their First Amendment rights, the counter-demonstrators at the rally were “interfering” with the desire of police to suppress popular opposition to the fascists’ attempt to build a movement in Kalamazoo on the bandwagon of “supporting the police” and “turning them loose.” Demonstrating both the crude mendacity and the political basis of the arrest, the arresting officer later wrote in his report that he was concerned that Emily, who was not even speaking at the time, might “incite a riot.”
Emily and the other counter-demonstrator arrested in Bronson Park have an arraignment scheduled for Friday August 17th at the Eight District Court (North Location) at 1:30PM. Emily will be represnted by an ACLU attorney.We encourage all SPMI members and supporters who can make it to come support Emily at the arraignment. PLEASE NOTE: the time of the arraignment has been moved from 8:30AM to 1:30PM.
A video of the demonstration ending with footage of Emily’s arrest is available HERE