DOVER, Del.- After several peaceful protests in Dover over the last week and a half, a rally Tuesday night in Camden led to a confrontation and the arrests of nearly two dozen people who police said were being disorderly and blocking traffic.
Delaware State Police sent out a press release early Wednesday morning. According to police, the protesters "were advised multiple times by law enforcement officers the protest was not lawful because it was obstructing traffic and to exit the roadway and move onto the shoulder. The incident escalated with protesters becoming disorderly. Protesters then refused to allow a Dover police officer in a marked police vehicle to proceed through. Once the officer exited the patrol car, individuals became disorderly."
Police said the protesters unlawfully remained congregated in the roadway obstructing traffic and refused to disperse. According to police, the protesters were offered alternative protest options that did not entail violations of the Delaware Disorderly Conduct law.
Police said that by their actions, the protesters intentionally violated three sections of the Delaware Code 11/1301 to include engaging in threatening behavior, obstructing vehicular traffic and congregating with other persons in a public place and refusing with a lawful order of the police to disperse.
Of those 22 individuals, 20 were arrested and two were released with no chargers.
The charges included the following misdemeanor offenses:
- Disorderly Conduct when Refusal to Disperse (All 20 Individuals)
- Disorderly Conduct by Obstructing Vehicular Traffic (All 20 Individuals)
- Disorderly Conduct by Obstructing Pedestrian Traffic (All 20 Individuals)
- Disorderly Conduct by Fighting or Violent Tumultuous or Threatening Behavior (All 20 Individuals)
- Resisting Arrest (4 Individuals)
- Hindering Prosecution Prevent or Obstructs by Force (3 Individuals)
All of the individuals were arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court and released on either their own recognizance or unsecured bond. A condition of bail included the following: The defendant will not interfere with public egress or ingress or shutdown public right-of-ways or block roadways when physically protesting unless legally permitted.
It wasn't until after an investigation that police say they discovered a black journalist, reporter Andre Lamar with the Dover Post, was a part of those arrested. Officers with the Dover Police Department took him into custody at the protest.
In fact, Lamar was arrested during a Facebook Live on the Dover Post's Facebook page. During the Facebook live, many people are seen arrested on the ground. At one point the camera is on the ground, Lamar can be heard in the background stating that he is a reporter and with the press.
After police discovered that Lamar was with the media, he was released and was one of two of the 22 individuals arrested but not charged.
Following his release, Lamar again went live on the Dover Post's Facebook page to explain the events from his point of view. During the live, he saw more police officers drive up to Troop 3.
Gov. John Carney tweeted, "Reporters have a fundamental right to cover the demonstrations we’re seeing in Delaware and across our country. They should not be arrested for doing their jobs. That’s not acceptable."
Spokesman for Attorney General Kathleen Jennings, Mat Marshall, released the statement, "The AG has been clear with law enforcement that she does not believe civil disobedience should be treated criminally and that peaceful protesters should not be harmed. People have a right to free speech and to peaceable assembly in this country and our goal—regardless of their message or their ideology—is to ensure that they can exercise that right safely. Period.
A reporter was taken into custody at a demonstration. We’ve spoken with law enforcement and that reporter has been released and will not be charged. We cannot comment on anything else as we are still getting the facts about what occurred at the Camden protests."
Lamar spoke on the arrest of an 18-year-old protester he met saying, "Guys this is so real, like this isn't a joke. This isn't happening in some other state. This is happening here. And again the police, like the force that they used, this makes no sense. No sense at all. These are literally people advocating for other individuals to love black people."
The protest outside of Troop 3 remained peaceful, and no further arrests have been made.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Dover Police Department released a lengthy statement about the events that transpired Tuesday night to "clarify any misinformation." Read the statement in its entirety here.