Protestors in Cincinnati, who were allegedly peaceful in their demeanor, decried the conditions in which they were held overnight on Monday.
Police reportedly arrested 307 people in Cincinnati from Sunday night into Monday morning, most of whom were breaking a 9 PM curfew that was in place. The protestors were detained at Hamilton County Justice Center for over 10 hours, where they were reportedly zip-tied, denied access to food and water, denied access to the bathroom, and also, held outdoors without a shelter above their heads in the sally port. The double-gated area only provides four walls, while supervised by deputies.
Images circulating show a slew of zip-tied individuals sleeping on the concrete ground. One man who was arrested, Andrew Watts, detailed the circumstance surrounding his arrest, per WCPO, “When we knew we were going to be arrested, we immediately laid on the ground, hands over our heads, yet we were violently arrested. I had a boot on my head.” Watts was zip-tied for 12 hours.
Nonetheless, the deputies have denied the protestors’ claims of unfair treatment. A spokesperson, David Daugherty, said in response:
“You got to remember we’re dealing – during the booking procedure – we’re dealing with the coronavirus response plan. All these people have to be screened, their temperature has to be taken, we have to ask the questions. ‘Have they been exposed?’ All of this takes time because everything has to be documented.”
However the protestors who were arrested have shot back, and some plan to pursue legal action.
Image detailing the conditions below, .
