Victory Rally held on Freedom Plaza for first six J20 defendants after acquittal

Video featuring call for holding prosecutors accountable and three of the former defendants speaking

On the 22nd of December, three of the former J20 defendants acquitted by a jury on Dec 21 spoke at a victory rally held on Freedom Plaza. They and other speakers denounced the governments's so far failed attempt to abuse the legal process to suppress dissent under Donald Trump. At this point, the J20 trial scoreboard stands at six acquitted, 188 more to go.

A speaker from Black Lives Matter pointed out that the kind of policing inflicted on anti-Trump protesters on Jan 20, 2017 was and is the exact same kind of policing routinely inflicted on residents of DC's remaining Black neighborhoods. Because of this, Black Lives Matter is standing in solidarity with all the J20 defendents against the same cops, the same enemy.

Speakers demanded that prosecutor Jennifer Kerkhoff, police chief Newsham, and Mayor Bowser all need to be held accountable for both the unlawful mass arrest and the unprecendented mass felony prosecution. The call is for all three to lose their jobs for this. Note that Kerkhoff would have to be fired by Trump or Sessions, but also could potentially be disbarred so she could no longer practice law in the district. Newsham could be fired by Mayor Bowser in an attempt to placate voters, who have the power to recall Bowser or remove her in the next election.