Six inauguration protesters not guilty
Defendants were among more than 200 facing rioting and other charges
WASHINGTON – The first six people charged with rioting in downtown Washington on President Trump’s inauguration day were found not guilty on all counts Thursday.
The jury presented its verdict in D.C. Superior Court, where for the past month federal prosecutors tried to argue the defendants were guilty of assisting in the violence, even though evidence didn’t show any of the six had done any physical damage that day. The protesters, who were tried together, maintained they were expressing their First Amendment rights by protesting Trump.
Jennifer Armento, 38; Michelle Macchio, 26; Oliver Harris, 28; Brittne Lawson, 27; Christina Simmons, 20; and Alexei Wood, 27, all faced decades in prison. The jury found them not guilty on five counts of felony destruc- tion of property and two misdemeanor counts of engaging in and conspiracy to engage in a riot.
“I feel overwhelmed and elated,” said Harris after the decision. “It’s been incredibly trying in a lot of ways. This process has invaded every aspect of my life.”
Lawson, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, said she broke into tears upon hearing the verdict.
“This sets an incredible precedent for activists facing state repression,” she said.
The six were among more than 200 people to face felony and misdemeanor charges for what prosecutors called a riot. Anti-Trump protesters marched through the streets on inauguration day, where some smashed windows, lit fires and tossed bricks at police, injuring six officers.
Attorneys for the defendants maintained the assertion the six were simply using their First Amendment rights.
The outcome could serve as evidence of things to come for the 188 people yet to stand trial on similar charges. The next defendants go to trial March 5.