A woman was arrested and now faces multiple charges following a disturbance with law enforcement during an anti-ICE protest in Memphis, Tennessee. Rebecca Ann Leathers is accused of disorderly conduct, resisting official detention, among other charges following what law enforcement described as violent behavior, as Action News 5 reports.
During the protest, which was organized by Indivisible Memphis in response to the deadly shooting of a Minnesota mother by an ICE agent, Leathers allegedly confronted a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle and resisted arrest; however, Indivisible Memphis and Free The 901 are demanding transparency, calling for the release of all video footage and dismissal of Leathers' charges, claiming that she was compliant and respectful during the arrest, according to a statement released Tuesday morning, as detailed by Action News 5.
However, there appears to be significant discrepancy in accounts of her behavior – where a trooper alleged she was aggressive, under the influence of alcohol, and made racially charged and threatening statements after detainment, WREG reports Indivisible Memphis has contested this narrative, claiming video footage fails to corroborate the trooper's affidavit; Indivisible Memphis insists that footage shows Leathers standing in the roadway without charging the vehicle or attempting to enter it, and was taken into custody without incident.
The protest, titled "ICE Out for Good," intended to spotlight the actions of ICE and remember those killed by ICE agents or who died in ICE custody, saw tense moments when law enforcement vehicles made contact with at least two individuals at low speeds, with 20 Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicles reportedly "came barreling down the street," as Jessica Miller, a spokesperson with Indivisible Memphis, claimed in an account to Commercial Appeal; she also said that one safety marshal was hit by a state trooper's vehicle.
After posting a $500 bond, Leathers was released from jail and is due in court this morning; as this case unfolds, the community and participating activist groups await further details, notably the promised footage that could clarify the events leading to Leathers' confrontation and subsequent arrest with the demonstration itself a vivid testament to the broader, fraught discourse concerning immigration enforcement in America.
