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DeRay Mckesson Arrested in Baton Rouge Protest DeRay McKesson Arrested in Baton Rouge Protest
(35 minutes later)
DeRay Mckesson, who has become a national voice for the Black Lives Matter movement, was arrested Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La., while protesting the death of Alton Sterling. DeRay McKesson, who has become a national voice for the Black Lives Matter movement, was arrested Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La., while protesting the death of Alton Sterling.
Mr. Mckesson filmed his own arrest while broadcasting the protest on Periscope. Mr. McKesson filmed his own arrest while broadcasting the protest on Periscope.
The arrest occurred about 11:15 p.m. as Mr. McKesson and other protesters were marching in Baton Rouge on Airline Highway, where they were warned by the police not to stray onto the road.The arrest occurred about 11:15 p.m. as Mr. McKesson and other protesters were marching in Baton Rouge on Airline Highway, where they were warned by the police not to stray onto the road.
Mr. Mckesson, 31, repeatedly tells viewers that there is no sidewalk. Then, about five minutes into the broadcast, the video gets shaky and you hear the police say: “City police. You’re under arrest. Don’t fight me. Don’t fight me.” Then Mr. Mckesson shouts, “I’m under arrest, y’all.” Mr. McKesson, 31, repeatedly tells viewers that there is no sidewalk where they are marching. In the background, an officer can be heard shouting, “You with them loud shoes, I see you in the road. If I get close to you, you’re going to jail.”
As he is taken into custody, his phone is passed into the hands of fellow protesters who continue the march and loudly demand answers to where he had been taken. “I think he’s talking to me, y’all,” says Mr. McKesson, who often wears a blue vest and red sneakers to demonstrations.
Brittany Packnett, a fellow activist who was with Mr. Mckesson when he was arrested, said he had been in contact with friends early Sunday morning and said he was physically unharmed. Soon after, Mr. McKesson repeats that there is no sidewalk. “Watch the police, they are just literally provoking people,” he says.
“As of 5:15 this morning he was physically OK, we are still awaiting his release,” she said in a phone interview. “Potentially his charges are for obstructing traffic even though everything proves he was behind the white line and was tackled by police behind the white line.” Then, about five minutes into the broadcast, the video gets shaky and a police officer can be heard saying: “City police. You’re under arrest. Don’t fight me. Don’t fight me.” Then Mr. McKesson shouts, “I’m under arrest, y’all.”
Ms. Packnett added that she is still not sure why Mr. Mckesson was arrested. “They told him they would arrest him if he stepped over the line and like every single eye witness and the video prove that he never stepped over that line,” she said. As he is taken into custody, his phone is passed into the hands of his fellow protesters who continue the march and loudly demand answers as to where he has been taken.
As word of his arrest spread on Twitter, where Mr. Mckesson has some 455,000 followers, #FreeDeray began trending with thousands tweeting out messages of support as well as phone numbers to the Baton Rouge police department to demand his release. Brittany Packnett, an activist who was with Mr. McKesson when he was arrested, said he had been in contact with friends early Sunday morning and said he had not been physically harmed.
The Louisiana National Lawyers Guild, which is providing legal support to protesters, quickly set up an online fundraiser aimed at raising money to bail out Mr. Mckesson and several other protesters arrested in Baton Rouge. “As of 5:15 this morning he was physically O.K. We are still awaiting his release,” she said in a phone interview. “Potentially his charges are for obstructing traffic even though everything proves he was behind the white line and was tackled by police behind the white line.”
State Police officials defended the arrests of Mr. Mckesson and others as a matter of public safety. Ms. Packnett added that she was still not sure why Mr. McKesson had been arrested. “They told him they would arrest him if he stepped over the line, and like every single eye witness and the video prove that he never stepped over that line,” she said.
“Well, they’re clearly blocking the roadway,” a Louisiana State police spokesman told Maya Lau, a reporter with The Baton Rouge Advocate, in a video she posted on her Twitter account. “We welcome the protests. We want them to voice their opinions. That’s what we’re here to do, to make sure they’re safe and they’re able to do that.” As word of his arrest spread on Twitter, where Mr. McKesson has some 455,000 followers, #FreeDeray began trending, with thousands tweeting out messages of support as well as phone numbers for the Baton Rouge police department to demand his release.
The Louisiana National Lawyers Guild, which is providing legal support to protesters, quickly set up an online fundraiser aimed at raising money to bail out Mr. McKesson and several other protesters arrested in Baton Rouge.
State Police officials defended the arrests of Mr. McKesson and others as a matter of public safety.
“Well, they’re clearly blocking the roadway,” a Louisiana State Police spokesman told Maya Lau, a reporter with The Baton Rouge Advocate, in a video she posted on her Twitter account. “We welcome the protests. We want them to voice their opinions. That’s what we’re here to do, to make sure they’re safe and they’re able to do that.
“We wouldn’t arrest people who are quietly protesting off the roadway,” he said.“We wouldn’t arrest people who are quietly protesting off the roadway,” he said.
The killing of Mr. Sterling, 37, who was shot by the police last week outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., inspired protests across the country. The encounter was captured in a searing video. The killing of Mr. Sterling, 37, who was shot by the police last week outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, inspired protests across the country. The encounter was captured in a searing video.
Mr. Mckesson, a public school administrator turned activist, first gained national notice with his blunt Twitter critiques of the police response in Ferguson, Mo., after the death of Michael Brown in 2014. Mr. McKesson, a public school administrator turned activist, first gained national notice with his blunt critiques on Twitter of the police response in Ferguson, Mo., after the death of Michael Brown in 2014.
He ran for mayor of Baltimore, his hometown, earlier this year, ultimately losing the Democratic primary in April to Catherine E. Pugh. He finished in sixth place, with 2 percent of the vote cast. He ran for mayor of Baltimore, his hometown, earlier this year, ultimately losing the Democratic primary in April to Catherine E. Pugh. He finished in sixth place, with 2 percent of the vote.
He may not have won but his growing stature as an activist, and his social media celebrity, made an impact. Within an hour and a half of starting an account on Crowdpac, he had surpassed Crowdpac’s previous record of 100 donations for a single candidate. He may not have won, but his growing stature as an activist and his social media celebrity made an impact. Within an hour and a half of starting an account on the fund-raising site Crowdpac, he had surpassed Crowdpac’s previous record of 100 donations for a candidate. He also far eclipsed the most money raised by a candidate — $20,000 — in Crowdpac’s existence at the time.
He has also far eclipsed the most money raised by a candidate — $20,000 — in Crowdpac’s existence at the time. Mr. McKesson’s campaign was considered a major step into the mainstream for the Black Lives Matter movement, which has been criticized for a lack of organized structure and tactics.
Mr. Mckesson’s campaign was considered a major step into the mainstream for the Black Lives Matter movement, which has been criticized for a lack of organized structure and tactics. He has detractors, who have accused him of being an antipolice anarchist whose comments helped foster protest violence across the country.
He has had his detractors, who have accused him of being an antipolice anarchist whose comments helped foster protest violence in cities across the country. His rise to prominence occurred after he left his job as an administrator in the Minneapolis Public Schools to move to the St. Louis area to work as a full-time activist. He then traveled around the country, using Twitter to chronicle protests against racial injustice.
His rise to prominence occurred after he left his job as an administrator in the Minneapolis Public Schools to move to the St. Louis area to work as a full-time activist. He then traveled around the country, turning to Twitter to chronicle protests against racial injustice. It was unclear what charges Mr. McKesson would face, or if he would be charged at all, according to The Baton Rouge Advocate.
It was unclear what charges Mr. Mckesson would face, or if he would be charged at all, according to The Baton Rouge Advocate.
Supporters on the video say the four police officers “carried him off” for standing in the roadway. “They got DeRay,” one supporter says. “They took him off in an armored vehicle.”Supporters on the video say the four police officers “carried him off” for standing in the roadway. “They got DeRay,” one supporter says. “They took him off in an armored vehicle.”
In the video, police officers are heard warning the protesters to stay out of the road. “I think he’s talking to me, y’all,” Mr. Mckesson says.
As he is taken away, several supporters cry out. “What was his crime?” one shouts. “Why is he being arrested?”As he is taken away, several supporters cry out. “What was his crime?” one shouts. “Why is he being arrested?”