Abortion rights protesters chant throughout a Pro Selection rally at the Tucson Federal Courthouse in Tucson, Arizona on Monday, July 4, 2022. (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP by using Getty Visuals)
Law enforcement in Tempe, Arizona, tweeted on Thursday night that they charged a far-right extremist for spraying bear spray in the faces of many abortion legal rights protesters and their youthful small children, ensuing in their hospitalization.
What the police have not produced general public, on the other hand, is that they have also charged 1 of the abortion legal rights protesters.
On Sunday night time, a group of abortion rights protesters was standing on a street corner in downtown Tempe soon after finding up some snacks and drinks from a store. The day’s protests were being over, and they have been waiting around to cross the road to go dwelling when Harrison drove earlier and sprayed what she herself explained as “bear spray” out of the window of her shifting automobile at the very least twice.
A number of folks have been dealt with by unexpected emergency companies at the scene and some ended up taken away for even more procedure, such as a nine-year-aged boy and a 5-12 months-outdated female.
On Thursday evening, the Tempe police division tweeted that they were being “actively attempting to locate” Harrison. Hrs later on, Harrison, who has a prolonged heritage of attacking protesters and is the leader of the AZ Patriots, “self-surrendered” at 5 p.m. area time, according to an update posted by the Tempe Police Office on Thursday evening.
“Jennifer was booked and billed with Disorderly Carry out and Assault. Additional fees of Aggravated Assault will be submitted to Maricopa County Attorney’s Place of work for assessment,” the assertion, posted on the department’s Twitter account, stated.
Harrison, who did not react to VICE News’ ask for for remark, claimed she was performing in self-protection in a statement that was briefly posted on her social media channels this week, right before becoming deleted.
As the expenses she is now dealing with are equally misdemeanors, she has been unveiled.
What the division did not make community, nevertheless, is that one of the protesters who experienced been hospitalized as a result of Harrison’s assault, had currently been billed with disorderly perform arising out of the exact incident.
Vivika Lofton confirmed to VICE Information that she was billed the prior night, while she denies the allegations and suggests the police have no proof to again up their promises.
The law enforcement say that Lofton set her hand inside Harrison’s car as she was driving past the team of protesters. This is comparable to a declare Harrison herself created in a assertion she issued on her social media accounts on Wednesday night, prior to speedily getting rid of it all over again.
“I’m remaining charged with the identical charges as [Harrison], which is not suitable, because I was the 1 that was wounded and went to the hospital,” Lofton instructed VICE Information, adding that the police instructed her there was no video clip footage of her alleged criminal offense.
There had been law enforcement on the scene checking the protesters when the attack took place, but activists who ended up existing told VICE Information the officers were being far too much away to have seen anything and didn’t respond swiftly when Harrison sprayed them.
Tempe police did not answer to VICE News’ ask for for remark on Lofton’s costs or the police’s alleged lousy reaction to the incident.
Many persons were being hurt as a outcome of Harrison’s steps, such as two young young children. A GoFundMe site set up by the mother of the two kids who have been wounded describes the injuries they suffered.
“The soreness of becoming maced is extreme and burning, an exceptionally strong stinging feeling that does not go away quickly. Additionally, mace reactivates each time it gets moist. This indicates that just about every time my little ones started off to cry in reaction to the ache they were being experience, it only produced the burning worse. Looking at my little ones wailing in discomfort and unable to do everything about it was the most excruciating matter I’ve at any time long gone by means of,” the mother wrote.
The funds being lifted is currently being put toward lawful costs affiliated with any proceedings that arise from the circumstance.
Harrison claimed in social media posts that she “didn’t hope kids” would be amid the protesters she allegedly attacked, but the earlier night time she berated the same group of protesters and openly acknowledged that a baby was there—all of which she livestreamed to her very own Fb webpage.
This was not Harrison’s to start with time spraying protesters with bear spray, which is a concentrated variety of pepper spray. In June 2020 she filmed herself spraying a girl all through a Black Life Subject protest while shouting through a bullhorn: “Black rifles matter” and “Trump 2020.”
Harrison, who has locked down her social media accounts in recent times, explained to the Arizona Republic on Thursday: “I have 1 comment: This was self-defense. I have an legal professional, and we are self-assured that we will see this by way of.”
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