Originally published in the Autumn 2024 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 75, printed November 6. Reproduced here for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Autumn 2024 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For other issues dating back to 2012, see the Full Issues page.

By Danielle DiBlasio

Richmond has been seeing a sharp escalation on the part of law enforcement in respect to pro-Palestinian activities.

Not that harsh police tactics are new: Recall this past April’s violent breakup of a peaceful Gaza solidarity encampment at Virginia Commonwealth University by campus, city and state police.

But in the last few months, Richmond has seen an increase in both arrests and the seriousness of charges leveled against activists.

On Sept. 13, a gathering in Monroe Park called to protest the Virginia Israel Advisory Board quickly escalated when police attempted to pursue protestors marching to the VIAB’s downtown headquarters.

Evidently to deter the police, one or more people set off fireworks between the police and protestors, and the window of a police cruiser reportedly was broken.

One person was charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor – even though they were arrested almost a mile from the protest and may not even have been involved.

Then, on Oct. 7, after a march led by VCU Students for Justice in Palestine to the VIAB office, bike marshal Perry Taylor was pursued by Richmond police. While still on his bike, he reportedly was struck by an RPD vehicle, then assaulted before being arrested. He now faces seven charges, including three felonies. Some of these charges stem from police claims that Taylor eluded their attempts to stop him during a march on May 28.

One of the felony charges was for wearing a mask. Virginia’s anti-mask law, originally introduced to deter Ku Klux Klan activities, has a list of exceptions, including health reasons, which makes it difficult to prosecute. Critics charge that its enforcement in this case demonstrates the eagerness of local law enforcement and city government to tack on as many serious charges as possible.

Also, Richmond protest organizer Zaid Mahdawi has been charged with a misdemenor for allegedly defacing a statue of Christoher Columbus during a protest July 24 in Washington, D.C. The charge carries a possible jail sentence of up to one year.

In most cases, community supporters have ben able to arrange for attorneys, bail money, court support and, when necessary, financial help for those charged.

The charges against activists contrast sharply with the kind of repercussions police face when they act with excessive force or brutality.

During the mass Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, there were many violent interactions between protesters and the RPD. By August 2022, the city of Richmond had paid out more than $1.6 million to settle 122 claims against RPD.

But few officers ever faced charges. Two Richmond officers were indicted for using a chemical irritant on civilians, but then had all charges dismissed in June 2022 by Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin.

McEachin’s office has a long history of being extremely reluctant to bring charges against any officer, no matter how egregious their actions – most notably when a Richmond police officer shot and killed Marcus-David Peters while the high school biology teacher was experiencing a mental health crisis.

In another instance of evasion of accountability, RPD officer Seth Layton was able to resign from the force while under an internal investigation for using excessive force during the BLM protests. In September 2020 he was hired by Virginia State Police, despite the Richmond investigation still being open.

The following January, Layton was one of two officers involved in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Xzavier Hill. In the end, the investigation into Layton concluded that he had violated the department’s use-of-force policy, a finding that may have prevented him from being hired by the VSP.