CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) –A special arraignment was held Memorial Day for those protesters formally charged in weekend violence after the Michael Brelo verdict.
Cleveland Police Chief, Calvin Williams said 71 people were arrested; 39 men, 16 women and the rest were juveniles. 56 of those protesters appeared in court Monday, the bulk of them charged with failure to disburse during weekend protests.
One after another they faced the Judge in Cleveland Municipal Court. Protestors, rounded up by police and jailed.
Cleveland Police say some protesters pepper sprayed restaurant patrons while they were sitting on patios.
“The main protesters were arrested for felonious assault and the other protesters for crimes ranging from obstruction of justice to aggravated rioting,” Chief Calvin Williams said.
Civil Rights attorney James Hardiman represented several of them saying, “Many people decided to get on their life, put this item behind them. Other people decided that they did not do anything wrong and since they didn’t do anything wrong or omitted any crimes that they wanted to fight.”
In large measure the proceeding came off in record time, the only display was one of those arrested raising a fist as he was led out. Some wanted to talk, others did not. One young man said, “With me being arrested I feel it was wrong because I was never told to disburse.”
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Article Courtesy of WOIO 19 Action News
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