JULIE: THE ACLU OF NEBRASKA IS
STEPPING UP TO HELP PROTESTERS
WHO WERE ARRESTED EARLIER THIS
WEEK.
GOOD EVENING.
I’M JULIE CORNELL.
ROB: I’M ROB MCCARTNEY.
THE ACLU SAYS IT’S AN UPHILL
BATTLE.
KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S WAVERLE
MONROE SPEAKS WITH A PROTESTER
WHO SAYS SHE WILL CONTINUE TO
FIGHT.
WAVERLE: MANY OF THE PROTESTERS
THAT WERE ARRESTED ON 28TH AND
FARNAM ON SATURDAY ARE HERE
SEEKING FREE LEGAL COUNCIL.
A PROGRAM PUT ON BY NEBRASKA’S
ACLU.
>> WE’RE VERY CONCERNED, BECAUSE
THIS IS BEING DIRECTED BECAUSE
OF THE POINT OF VIEW YOU ARE
EXPRESSING AND THE DISCOMFORT
THAT IS CAUSING POWER
STRUCTURES.
WAVERLE: MICHAELA CHAMBERS WAS
RELEASED FROM THE DOUGLAS COUNTY
JAIL ON MONDAY AT 3:00 P.M.,
-- AT 3:00 A.M., MORE THAN 17
HOURS AFTER OMAHA POLICE SAY THE
FIRST ARREST WAS MADE.
>> I WAS CHARGED WITH A
MISDEMEANOR FOR FAILURE TO
DISPERSE.
WAVERLE: AND UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY.
CHAMBERS SAYS THAT PROTESTERS
WERE CORALLED ON THE I-480
BRIDGE AT 29TH STREET.
>> AT THAT POINT, I KNEW THAT
OFFICERS WOULD BE ASCENDING, AND
THE WAY THEY EXITED THEIR
VEHICLES, AND THE AGGRESIVE
-- AGGRESSIVE NATURE THEY
DISPLAYED, I KNEW IT WAS GOING
TO BE VIOLENT, AND IT WAS.
WAVERLE: CHAMBERS WAS JUST ONE
OF 120 PEOPLE ARRESTED THAT
NIGHT.
THE ACLU OF NEBRASKA’S EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, DANIELLE CONRAD,
BELIEVES THE ARRESTS DID NOT
HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.
>> WHEN THE HUSKERS WIN A
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, PEOPLE
TAKE TO THE STREETS AND TAKE
OVER INTERSECTIONS, AND THERE
AREN’T MASS ARRESTS.
WAVERLE: SHE SAYS THE LEGAL
BATTLE CAN BE LONG AND COSTLY.
>> WE’RE GOING TO DO ALL WE CAN
TO HELP UNWIND THE HARM, BUT TO
ALSO PREVENT THE ABUSES MOVING
FORWARD.
WAVERLE: CHAMBERS SAYS SHE’S
NEVER BEEN ARRESTED BEFORE, AND
THAT THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS HAVE
LEFT HER SHAKEN.
>> I WASN’T ALLOWED TO MAKE A
SINGLE PHONE CALL.
I WASN’T ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO
ANYONE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION
AS I WAS LED TO THE PRISON CELL.
WAVERLE: BUT SHE HOPES BETTER
UNDERSTANDING HER RIGHTS WILL
ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO HEAR HER
MESSAGE IN THE FUTURE.
>> WE’VE BEEN IN THIS WAR FOR
HUNDREDS OF YEARS AS THE BLACK
COMMUNITY, AND I’M PREPARED FOR
A LIFE LONG BATTLE.
WAVERLE: CHAMBERS SAYS SHE WANTS
TRANSPARENCY WITH THE OMAHA
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THEM
TO RELEASE THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE
FROM THAT NIGHT.
REPORTING IN OMAHA, WAVERLE
MONROE, KETV NEWSWATCH 7.
ROB: OMAHA POLICE SAID OFFICERS
WARNED PROTESTERS SEVERAL TIMES
ABOUT WHAT POLICE DETERMINED TO
BE AN UNLAWFUL GATHERING.
POLICE SAY WALKING IN THE STREET
WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION IS
AGAINST THE LAW.
FOR A COMPLETE TIMELINE, GO TO
KETV.COM, SE
