Arrests after an anti-ICE protest in Covington: Here’s what we know
At least 13 protesters were arrested during a Thursday night anti-ICE protest that resulted in a march on the Ohio River bridge connecting Covington and Cincinnati.
The Covington Police Department charged protesters with rioting, unlawful assembly, disorderly conduct and other misdemeanor charges.
“We respect everyone’s right to protest, but when demonstrations jeopardize public safety and violate the law, our officers must take appropriate action,” said Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti in a news release.
On Friday, Kenton County District Court Judge Douglas Grothaus set bonds at $2,500, ordering protesters to return to their next hearing on July 23. Rioting charges for protesters are considered a felony, with typical sentences of up to five years in prison.
The group of protesters was calling for the release of Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and former chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 9. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported the rally was set to be a vigil for Soliman, and there were no plans for a march on the bridge.
Soliman came to the US in 2018 seeking asylum, but was falsely claimed to have worked with a charity associated with a terrorist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Enquirer reported.
ICE has held him at the Butler County Jail since he was detained earlier this month. His bond hearing will be on July 23.
Protesters first rallied in Cincinnati. Nearly 100 people, according to estimates reported by the Enquirer, crossed the bridge after 8 p.m. on Thursday.
The Covington Police Department responded to the protest on the Roebling Suspension Bridge, which they said “obstructed traffic and created safety concerns for both demonstrators and the public.”
To avoid traffic disruptions, protesters were asked by the police to leave the bridge and move to the sidewalk, but according to police, officers were met with “open hostility and threatening behavior.”
Videos of police attempting to arrest protesters gained attention on social media. Those videos show police striking and attacking men and women on the sidewalk of the bridge.
Three people were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the arrests, their attorney, Benjamin Pugh, told WLWT-TV..
Two journalists were among those arrested, including CityBeat reporter Madeline Fening and Lucas Griffith, the publication’s photography intern, according to the Enquirer.
This is a developing story and it may be updated.
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