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U.S. NEWS Monday 23 January 2017
Lawyers: Police wrongly arrested

some on Inauguration Day

a legal observer, someone
who is there to observe
and report on the activities
of the police and demon-
strators, Goldstone said.
And Jeffrey Light, who
filed a federal lawsuit Fri-
day over the arrests, wrote
that many who were ar-
rested were “peacefully
protesting.” He said Sun-
day the lead plaintiff in
his class action lawsuit, an
attorney from Colorado,
was wearing a green hat
identifying him as a legal
observer. Light says he be-
lieves felony charges were
an attempt by prosecutors
to get leverage for plea
bargains on lesser, misde-
meanor offenses.q

Bricks thrown by protestors rest at the feet of police officers dur-
ing a demonstration after the inauguration of President Donald
Trump, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in Washington.
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some cation.” He said there were
nnocent observers, includ- not 230 people engaged
ing two journalists, were in conduct that merited a
improperly swept up in a felony rioting charge and
group of 230 people arrest- called the charges an
ed after self-described an- overreach.
ti-capitalists began break- “They arrested everyone in
ing windows in Washington a single location including
on Inauguration Day, law- reporters, lawyers, law stu-
yers said. dents, and non-riotous pro-
The group was charged testers,” Goldstone said.
Saturday with felony riot- Police did not immedi-
ing, punishable by up to 10 ately respond Sunday to
years in prison and a fine of a request for comment by
up to $25,000. The Associated Press. But
Protesters smashed the win- interim Police Chief Pe-
dows of an emergency ve- ter Newsham told radio
hicle as well as windows at station WTOP on Sunday
a Starbucks and two banks that he was “very, very
and set fire to a limousine, pleased” with the way
court documents said. The police responded to dem-
total damage done by the onstrations Friday, saying
anarchist group was over they only used force when
$100,000, court documents necessary to control ag-
said. City law says that if, in gressive crowds. Police
the course of a riot, a per- have said they used pep-
son is seriously injured or per spray and rubber “sting
there is property damage balls” to control the crowd
of more than $5,000 “every where arrests were made.
person who willfully incited Newsham noted that some
or urged others to engage demonstrators threw rocks
in the riot” can be charged and bricks at officers.
with felony rioting. Goldstone, the attorney,
But on Sunday, Mark Gold- said that police have to
stone, a lawyer represent- make reasonable attempts
ing about 50 of those ar- to identify individual law-
rested, said police “basi- breakers, not just arrest a
cally identified a location group. One of those ar-
that had problems and ar- rested Friday was wearing
rested everyone in that lo- a T-shirt identifying him as