Graphic by Matilda Bliss
Over a year after their arrests, the first of 12 Asheville mutual aid workers still facing felony littering charges for having supplies in a public park (yes, really) finally headed to trial this week.
In the latest from the Asheville Blade co-op, reporter Matilda Bliss delves into the pre-trial legal fights.
The prosecution disturbingly tried to paint basic acts of protest — like writing down a jail support number, praising a direct action, simply using Signal — as automatically criminal. So far this is mostly falling flat, running into a judge skeptical of a weak case. But it shows the tactics used in Atlanta are spreading.
These trials are part of the wider crackdown on protest, mutual aid and journalism Asheville authorities are determined to pursue. Whether you're inside our city of elsewhere, this is worth paying attention to, as what the governments involved are aiming for is another step towards a police state.
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