SPOKANE, Wash. – Members of the Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR) showed their support in court for individuals arrested during recent protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protests occurred on June 11th, and many of those involved are now facing legal proceedings.
Mardi Williamson, one of the protestors, is currently facing an arraignment hearing after being charged with failure to disperse. Williamson shared her experience, saying, “My brother contacted my husband saying why is my sister in handcuffs on the news so my family has seen it at my school district has seen it. Everybody has seen it.”
Williamson emphasized the importance of using her position to advocate for others. “I feel that as we continue to see injustice is happen in our community, but it’s most important to use my white skin to prevent the voices of other people,” she said.
SCAR founder, Pastor Walter Kendricks, explained the group’s motivation for supporting the protestors. “As so, therefore that’s why we’re there to make sure that our rights are being protected and that those in authority know that we are watching,” Kendricks stated.
SCAR has been actively raising funds to pay the bail for protestors they believe were unlawfully arrested. Kendricks highlighted the group’s commitment to defending rights, saying, “And so we the people have to stand up and defend our rights and that’s the most important thing that people of especially in these perilous political times in which we live. We have to stand up for our rights and we have to protect our rights and that is exactly why SCAR is doing what we’re doing.”
Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall defended the actions taken by officers during the protests. “There is a lot of I’m not sure if it’s misinformation because I don’t I don’t believe there’s ill intent or ill will with it. There’s just a lot of different perceptions of what actually occurred,” Hall said. He added, “The vast majority were very peaceful, but peaceful doesn’t mean awful and there was unlawful conduct that was occurring that we had to address.”
Chief Hall stated that not following police direction can lead to arrest, regardless of individuals’ perceptions of their actions.
Despite her arrest, Williamson remains steadfast in her beliefs. She described the experience, saying, “Definitely the full incarceration experience. Zero stars. Would not recommend,” but added, “But absolutely would do it again and I hope this isn’t a foreshadowing of what our summer brings.”
A check of court records shows the status of Williamson’s case as dismissed following her June 18th arraignment.
