I’m outside the so-called Justice Center in Richmond where a sit-in is being staged to protest the horrific conditions inside the jail where, according to activists, one man has died at least 100 more are in quarantine due to COVID-19.

Apparently, people being detained in the jail refused to enter their cells last night in protest of the poor medical treatment they are receiving, and deputies responded with grenades, pepper spray, and guns.

Protesters are assembling on the median at the intersection of Oliver Hill Way and Fairfield Way. At least one deputy in the parking lot of the jail is keeping is an eye on them.

Organizers are holding signs that read “Free Police Prisoners” and “Drop the Charges.”

Organizers asked for legal observers to be present, and I see two of them here now.

There is apparently a motor march component to this protest, as at least a dozen cars have pulled up along side protestors on the median honking in support.

They turn back down Oliver Hill way at the intersection, presumably to make another pass.

One deputy is approaching the intersection as the car train pulls around again.

They simply walked by and turned down Fairfield Way, towards the main entrance of the jail.

“No jails on stolen land,” chant the protesters. There are roughly 25 people gathered on the median now.

A wild Alex has appeared. Follow her thread here: https://twitter.com/alexoxford3/status/1300907161929879554

“Every city, city town—burn every precinct to the ground!” shout the protesters as more and more of the folks in the motor march park and join the group on the median on foot.

Protesters bang on pots and pans as they chant. One person has even brought thier cello

Deputy Shades is watching the protesters from around the corner of Fairfield Way.

There are still at least five cars doing laps, and at least 40 folks on the median.

Two RPD cars dive past, heading away from the jail. The drivers of both vehicles wave at protesters. (Do they think that’s cute?)

Medics are tending to one protester on the sidewalk across the street. I won’t speculate on what’s going on, but they seem to be handling it.

We keep us safe

The ~50 protesters cross the street to the sidewalk in front of the RCJC.

Organizers move the group further down the sidewalk, closer to the jail, so that the people detained there can hear them better. “No cops, no prison—total abolition!” they chant.

You can just barely make out the people being detained through the windows of the jail waving back at the protesters.

The cars have formed a barrier protecting the protesters on the sidewalk. This is a welcome improvement from the protest a few days ago, where protesters encountered a very dangerous traffic situation as they left the jail: https://twitter.com/tormaid/status/1299861173932875776

Most of the protesters have moved up the hill onto the grass. Deputies are staring to from a line, but their response isn’t nearly as forceful as the last time, perhaps because of the higher numbers of protesters.

Officers are gesturing at the protesters to move back. I can’t hear what they are saying over the chants, though

One RPD car is in the scene, parked a block away.

Almost 40 protesters face off against seven deputies, who seem to have given up trying to communicate with the protesters.

One of the organizers is speaking, they explain to the deputies that they are at risk due to COVID and that they are complicit in the death that took place in the jail.

They remind the deputies that protesters were out here months ago warning them about the dangers of COVID-19. They say to the deputies, “you have the power to speak to your bosses.”

“You have to ask yourselves when you get home and take off that uniform: is that uniform you?” they ask the deputies. The crowd starts to chant “drop your badge!”

This deputy isn’t even wearing a mask. People ask them to wear a mask and even offer them one, but they just nod and give a thumbs up.

Group huddle with the aforementioned deputy before they are sent away from the front line. Maybe the Sheriffs Department does care about the optics.

RPD is on the scene. I count at least a dozen officers. At least four of them are not wearing masks.

Am organizer is asking protestors to make a risk assessment decision to leave when asked or not.

Oh look, they found a mask.

The protesters chant, “I don’t see no riot here!”

RPD is still assembling in the parking lot.

(If this thread stops all of a sudden... you know what happened )

Another large white RPD van is on the scene.

Protesters ended up backing up to the sidewalk as RPD officers marched past the line to the protesters standing on the sidewalk already.

Lots of people were arrested, including @AlexOxford3. I’m fine and have lots of video to go though; getting in touch with the Bail Fund and Alex’s emergency contact.

I’ve reported her information to the @RVABailFund.

I’ve informed Alex’s family of her arrest as well.

The parking lot is still crawling with RPD and Sheriffs deputies, so folks hoping to do jail support should probably hang back for the moment.

I’m not comfortable posting any of the video I have right now, but I know others have already. Going to keep monitoring the jail parking lot.

I flipped off a Sheriff’s deputy while we were both waiting for the light. I may not be in the best frame of mind right now.

RPD presence has dropped off but there’s still a few of their cars in the RCJC parking lot.

I want to just sit in my car and cry some more, but I feel obligated to report on what happened, so I’m going to continue my thread where I left off now as I wait for the RPD pigs to go find somewhere else to loiter.

Protesters and RPD alike moved down the hill because a tow truck had arrived on the scene and protesters were (rightfully) worried about their cars being towed, as well as protestor safety.

I’m he Sheriff’s deputations moved down the hill as well as protesters backed up to the sidewalk.

Here’s the tow truck driver in question. Seems like a real nice person.

Alright, I’ve watched through the footage and don’t think uploading it will compromise protester safety beyond what the pigs at RPD have already done to them. I’m still going to divide it up a bit.

The first three arrests (as far as I know) occurred on the sidewalk from left to right in this clip. I had gone to the median to film the tow truck, which is the only reason I wasn’t arrested too.

By the time I made it across the street, @AlexOxford3, in the maroon skirt, was already on the ground with two RPD officers on top of her. All of a sudden, RPD charged down the hill and grabbed three more people right in front of me, shoving another violently to the ground.

Legal observers worked to get the names of people who were being arrested as the handful of remaining protesters shouted at the cops from the road, which was increasingly becoming backed up with traffic.

As the last of the first group of people who were arrested are marched up the hill and out of sight, this (maskless) officer screams in the faces of the legal observers, the few remaining protesters, and myself as riot cops from a wall and push us back to the median.

(I believe I lost my calm by this point )

These officers looked like they were going to stop and arrest the person driving this red car, but they were allowed to pass.

Then all of a sudden someone shouted, “They’re attacking the tow truck!” and RPD officers rushed down the median and arrested two more people, temporarily detaining two others (the two in far left of the frame lying face-down, the closer of whom is @niggligg).

RPD very quickly took the last of the people who had been arrested away and reformed their line on the sidewalk where people were peacefully demonstrating just minutes before.

The two legal observers and I were the last people on the scene, and they kindly walked me to my car.

That’s all I have from this horrific event. If you have specific questions, I’ll try to answer to the best of my ability.