In the weeks since the George Floyd uprising erupted, multiple individuals have been charged with felonies in Pittsburgh for protesting against police brutality. Most of these charges have received little coverage in the media, who preferred instead to focus on DA Stephen Zappala’s decision to drop misdemeanor charges against those arrested on May 30th and June 1st. More recently the police have expanded their focus to include various protest organizers and support people.
Most of these charges have little evidence behind them, but we should not draw too much comfort from this fact. The purpose is as much to intimidate protesters and drain their resources as to obtain convictions. Solidarity is paramount in the face of state repression. Accordingly the Pittsburgh NLG has established a felony support group to assist those facing felonies for protesting. The felony group has issued the following statement.
The Pittsburgh NLG felony support group is working to raise money for those facing felony charges from recent protests. In the interest of transparency and accountability we would like to make our intentions and priorities clear.
Anyone who is facing state or federal felony charges in the Pittsburgh area as a result of protesting since the murder of George Floyd is eligible for our help. However, our top priority is making sure our incarcerated defendants are supplied with commissary funds and reading material. Any money remaining after this need is met will be distributed equitably among those who request assistance, bearing in mind that Black people, trans people, and other marginalized identities face heightened repression from the criminal “justice” system.
