Protesters march downtown on July 23
Black Lives Matters protesters marched on Thursday night to demand the release of one of their fellow demonstrators from jail, saying he had been held for more than a week mostly due to red tape in the criminal justice system. The man they identified as LJ was arrested on July 17 and has been held by the Davidson County Sheriff's Office since then.
The protesters, who have been occupying a space in Legislative Plaza since mid-June, marched to the DCSO from their site near the Tennessee State Capitol. About 40 people rallied, sang and chanted outside the Third Avenue entrance of the jail. Activist Justin Jones noted that the entrance was for the warrants division and highlighted flaws in the criminal justice system, in addition to speaking about LJ’s case.
Justin Jones speaks at protest in front of Davidson County Sheriff's Office
“No one should be in the system,” said Jones. “No one should be in this building — this building is a symbol of injustice.”
Jones said LJ was arrested when he was leaving the plaza, and that he was targeted by law enforcement because members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Metro Nashville Police Department perceived him to be a leader of the protesters. Others noted that LJ had been a constant presence at Legislative Plaza since the protests began more than 40 days ago. Protesters declined to share the full name of LJ, who is experiencing homelessness.
The demonstrators then marched around the jail, stopping at the Downtown Detention Center entrance on James Robertson Parkway for a moment of silence, and returning to Third Avenue.
Niti Sharon, a legal observer and legal liaison with the protesters, called the charges against LJ “bogus.” Among the charges was a parole violation. Sharon says Metro police arrested LJ on a warrant shortly after state troopers had arrested and released him earlier that same day.
“They just made it really hard to get him out,” said Sharon, referring to LJ’s bail. “It’s the whole story of houseless people being victimized over and over again.”
Davidson County Sheriff’s Office inmate records show a detainee matching LJ's description, who was arrested on five charges.
The Plaza protesters have faced multiple arrests in the weeks since their demonstration began, usually detained by officers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Some of them have been mass arrests, like when 55 people were detained after a massive march on July 4. Many of the arrestees have described the use of unnecessary force when being arrested, and also described unsanitary conditions at the Davidson County Jail.
Protesters say state troopers have recently shifted from mass arrests to more targeted efforts. NewsChannel 5 previously reported that Tennessee Highway Patrol officers were using prewritten warrants to arrest protesters for crimes they say were committed at past actions. Some of those crimes include vandalism charges for drawing with chalk.
A moment of silence in front of the jail
The People’s Plaza protest began after Jones and other activists attempted to camp out on the Capitol building steps on June 12. They were displaced the next day, but protesters immediately claimed a corner of Legislative Plaza and occupied it each day, working in shifts to keep demonstrators present at the site at all times. The People’s Plaza communications team says the effort is the longest-running continuous protest in the country.
The protest began in part to demand the removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the state Capitol. While the State Capitol Commission voted to move the statue out of the Capitol building and into the State Museum, the Tennessee Historical Commission will have the final say in the matter in February. Protesters have launched a phone and email campaign to move the hearing on the bust to an earlier date.
