‘We are here for this revolution’: Charges dropped against activist arrested during Black Lives Matter protest

The Multnomah County district attorney dismissed charges against an activist stemming from a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland that was declared a riot.

Demetria Hester, who leads Portland’s Mothers United for Black Lives group, was arrested Sunday and charged with second-degree disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. The district attorney’s office said it dismissed Hester’s charges because it’s “in the interest of justice upon reviewing the police reports in this matter.”

“This is about our future,” Hester told a crowd on Monday after her release. “This is about our peace — our peace of mind to walk down the street and care for each other again, peace to go to your neighbors and say, ‘I love you. What do you need?‘”

“We are here for this revolution,” Hester said. “If you’re here, do your part.”

Hester was outside of the Portland Police Association after authorities in the city declared a riot Sunday night. A mass of protesters had gathered outside of the police building, prompting officers to push back on the people and, eventually, leading to firing crowd control munitions. Hester and 15 others were arrested.

Following Hester’s release, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that his office will not prosecute nonviolent misdemeanor charges that have been levied against hundreds of Portland protesters over the past several months.

“We recognize that we undermine public safety, not promote it, if we leverage the force of our criminal justice system against peaceful protesters, who are demanding to be heard,” Schmidt said Tuesday.

“This is a revolution, and we’re getting reparations,” Hester added Monday. “We’re taking it to D.C., baby!”

*story by The Washington Examiner