Organizer speaks out after GRPD arrests her during interview with 13OYS following downtown protest
Jessica Plichta says she was arrested by the Grand Rapids Police Department for failing to obey the lawful order of a police officer.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —
Just days after Jessica Plichta’s arrest was filmed by 13 ON YOUR SIDE following an interview, the organizer is speaking out about her experience.
“I had just finished my interview with WZZM 13, and as soon as the camera light went off, two police officers came up behind me and said, ‘Put your hands on your head. You’re under arrest,'” she said. “And I grabbed each of my arms with the microphone still in my hand and took me to the police car.”
Plichta says she was arrested for failure to obey a lawful order from a police officer, which happened after a march in the streets of Grand Rapids against U.S. actions in Venezuela on Jan. 3.
She was an organizer with the Grand Rapids War Opponents and the socialist organization Freedom Road.
“I was put in the police car and they took me to a secondary location, because they said I was causing a scene. So they took me down to the secondary location,” she said. “They made me lean over the police car, searched me, destroyed my belongings, then put me back in the police car without wearing my seat belt and drove me to [the Kent County jail].”
She says the processing at the prison took some time and she stayed in the holding area for about three hours until she was released.
“When people exercise their right to protest in a world of escalating violence, it is shocking to see the police act against you,” she said. “But it’s not surprising, not surprising at all. I’ve seen this happen to pro-Palestinian protesters in recent years. I wasn’t surprised, just disappointed.”
13 ON YOUR SIDE contacted the City of Grand Rapids to ask what the penalties are for these charges and if it is the city’s policy to arrest people who violate these charges.
In response, a city spokesperson sent the following city codes:
Title » Pursuant to Section 10.29, a violation of this Code section constitutes a civil offense.
Title municipal code, this is similar to state law MCL 257.676b. MCL 257.676b is a civil offense.
Failure to comply with a lawful order constitutes the offense of disorderly conduct pursuant to our Municipal Code, Title X, Chapter 152, Article 1, Section 9.135(2). Pursuant to the general penalty provisions in Section 1.13, a person convicted of a disorderly conduct offense shall be punished as follows:
“(a) A fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00); Or
(b) By imprisonment for a maximum period of ninety (90) days; Or
(c) A fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and imprisonment of not more than ninety (90) days. ”
Plichta says she chose to remain silent, but GRPD officers questioned her throughout the car ride.
“I was surprised, because, you know, in Detroit they often have marches and rallies in the street with a lot more people, without really any police presence,” she said. “And yet when we do it in Grand Rapids, there’s this escalation. So you wonder why Grand Rapids seems to be the only city in Michigan where protesting is illegal. I believe it’s our sacred right in this country to protest, and we do family friendly protests.”
A statement from a Grand Rapids Police Department spokesperson said:
A group was walking on the roadway. More than 25 announcements were made from the public address system of a marked police car for the group to leave the roadway and move their activities to the sidewalk. Blocking traffic in this manner is a direct violation of city and state laws. The group refused legal orders to move this free speech event to the sidewalk and instead began blocking intersections until the march ended. Patrol officers consulted with their sergeant and shift commander, who informed officers that if the individuals could be located, they could be arrested. The adult female who was arrested was positively identified by officers, and the lawful arrest was made.
Plichta says she will be notified when a charge is officially filed.
She hopes her arrest won’t deter others from taking action.
“I think it’s valid to be afraid, but it’s not valid to sit back and do nothing with your fear,” she said. “I think you should harness your fear to do something and make a difference in a world where, you know, people pretend a street march is horrible, but you know what, a street march, a peaceful march in the streets, is much more peaceful when the world is escalating violence at a drastic rate.”
13 ON YOUR SIDE is working to confirm the potential charge against Plichta.
