Help Marlena with Legal Fund for Arrest

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HELP MARLENA DAVIS FIGHT THE RACIST CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT BY CONTRIBUTING TO HER LEGAL FUND

Please support Marlena Davis as she goes up against the racist Charleston Police Department. Ms. Davis is trying to fight the racist system, but she has had to hire an attorney and pay $2,000 just to begin clearing her name. She may incur even more attorney fees, but she is determined to clear her name of an unjust charge and to use her case as an example of the serious problems within the Charleston Police Department.

Marlena’s Story in Her Own Words:

It took 60+ years of living to be labeled a THUG. Those of you who know me probably can't believe it -- and neither can I.

You see, about six years ago the pastor of my church, Emanuel AME Church and 8 other friends were murdered at a bible study. The killer 'worshipped' the confederate flag. After the attack, the families were so forgiving and urged peace. The entire city and much of the world mourned with the survivors and the church. The racist flag came down from the State House. We all loved each other, AND Charleston became #CharlestonStrong -- or so we thought.

Unbeknownst to me (because I thought we were CharlestonStrong), a group of racists who were angry that the murders of my friends finally prompted the removal of the racist flag from our State House started flying that flag at the Battery (White Point Gardens, Charleston SC) every weekend – barely a mile from my church. A group of white allies began standing against them and I joined the protest over a year ago as a peaceful protestor on behalf of BLM. That's when I first heard someone refer to me as a THUG. My only weapons are the poster boards that I hold and my words.

On July 11, I was arrested for failure to obey a lawful order. The alleged offense? I dared to walk across the street to the racist flaggers side. The police even threatened to arrest me for resisting arrest. What?! At a peaceful protest?! For crossing the street?! I posed a threat with my protest signs and my words?! I was thoroughly confused as I was handcuffed, transported to the jail, searched, fingerprinted and had my mug shot taken. And now I have to pay an attorney to defend me against the Charleston Police Department. All because I dared to walk across the street.

For over a year, I watched the police favor the racist flaggers and their supporters while treating peaceful protesters like thugs. It has become increasingly clear that there is bias in the police department.

Here’s how fellow protesters describe the day Marlena was taken to jail:

While protesting the obnoxious weekly waving of the confederate flag at White Point Gardens on July 11, Marlena Davis was unjustly arrested for allegedly Disobeying a Police Order. Normally, someone who is cited for this type of misdemeanor would simply be given a ticket (like a speeding ticket). Instead, Marlena was arrested, put in hand cuffs, thrown in the back of a police car, taken to the Charleston County detention center, processed, imprisoned, and fined $500 – all because an overly aggressive Charleston police officer didn’t like that she was using her words towards a combative white bystander across the street. The officer even claimed that Marlena shoved him and resisted arrest, but didn’t charge her with either; perhaps the fact that multiple bystanders were videotaping the incident made him realize he couldn’t get away with those false charges. He decided to charge Marlena with the ambiguous “disobeying a lawful order”. Charleston police have refused to provide Marlena with any of their body camera video footage.

When Marlena’s supporters first arrived at the detention center, they were told that she would have to spend the night in jail and attend a bond hearing the next day. However, after her supporters explained to the officers that her alleged offense was just like a ticket which did not require her to be jailed overnight, she was allowed to pay the almost $500 fine and was released a few hours later.

There are many ways in which this situation is unjust and racist.

· There have been several incidents where white confederate flag supporters have laid their hands on female protesters and police did nothing. Marlena is the only one who has been thrown in jail. She is Black.

· On the day police arrested Marlena, none of the many police officers on the scene said a word to the white woman who started the whole incident by harassing and taunting Marlena and her fellow protestors. Police had no interest in charging the white aggressor.

· If one of Marlena’s supporters had not known how the jail system is supposed to work, she would have had to spend a night in jail even though she should never have been there in the first place.

· After her arrest, Marlena tried to obtain all of the reports and camera footage pertaining to the incident but was not provided the documents and video she was entitled to.

If you’re wondering if this white woman who was literally asking for a fight was ever in any real physical danger from Marlena – No way, not a chance. For nearly every weekend over the past year, Marlena has peacefully stood across the street in protest of this group who call black people monkeys, say the killer dylanroof should have killed more, and laugh about having hangings in their backyard. Marlena has never ever physically threatened anyone – not even the time someone stood across the street and shouted the N-word. There was one Sunday, though, where the weight of the ugliness and evil hit and was too much to hide – and for just a few seconds, a couple of tears escaped and fell down Marlena’s beautiful face.