4 cities where 'No Kings' protesters were arrested
4. Memphis
The Memphis Police Department detained six people and arrested three amid a “No Kings” protest on Saturday.
In a statement on Sunday, the department explained that the event organizers had a valid permit for a rally, but the permit did not include a march.
As participants marched in the roadway, the police said they observed multiple individuals obstructing traffic. Officers made verbal requests for approximately 40 minutes for the individuals to move to the sidewalk, according to the statement by Memphis police.
“Despite repeated requests to clear the roadway, several individuals near MLK Ave and Fourth refused to leave the street and instead interlocked arms, forming a human chain,” the department stated. “Officers then began detaining those individuals who remained in the roadway. As officers made arrests, some individuals resisted, and an officer deployed pepper spray.”
Police arrested three individuals, including Rueben Burch, 33, who was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing highway/passageway, interfering with officer serving process and resisting official detention.
Authorities also arrested Adam Nelson, 41, and David Rahaim, 42, who were charged with disorderly conduct, among other charges.
In a Sunday statement, Indivisible Memphis alleged that MPD officers approached participants in an “aggressive and confrontational manner” near the end of the march.
“That this incident occurred just days before the 58th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King JR’s assassination in Memphis only underscores its gravity,” the activist group stated. “Individuals gathered to exercise the very rights Dr. King championed: to assemble peacefully, to speak out against injustice, and to demand change.”
“MPD’s conduct on March 28 is indefensible. It violated constitutional protections and inflicted immense, unnecessary harm on people peacefully exercising their rights to protest,” the statement continued.
On Monday, MPD said it will review interactions between officers and protesters.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
