Activists including Left Voice and Detroit Will Breathe members arrested while protesting against Biden in Detroit are releasing all those arrested and dropping all charges

Detroit police arrested protesters, including members of Left Voice and Detroit Will Breathe (DWB), at a demonstration outside Joe Biden’s “genocide” speech at the NAACP dinner. The protest was organized by several different Detroit-based activist organizations and showed solidarity with the people of Gaza against Biden’s continued support of genocide.

In typically brutal fashion, police appeared to attack people leaving the protest and even verbally abused Lloyd Simpson, a DWB member. The total number of people arrested and the charges, if any, are still being determined. At least two DWB organizers, Simpson and Matt Hollerbach, are still being held and may be charged with crimes. These arrests are part of the ongoing crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests across the country, evident in the brutal repression of the Gaza solidarity camps. The regime’s line is clearly to drive the movement off the streets through targeted and arbitrary arrests and serious charges – such as the crimes against Simpson and Hollerbach and some participants in camps, such as at the City University of New York, renewed confrontation – and increasing brutality in arresting protesters.

Today’s arrests in Detroit and repression across the country are an attack on our fundamental right to protest and an attempt to silence dissent ahead of the presidential election. Everyone who cares about protecting our right to freedom of expression and defending the right to protest must oppose these arrests and stand with protesters against further repression.

We demand the immediate release of all those arrested and the dismissal of all charges.