Aurora, CO – On Thursday, September 24, Terry Burnsed, Arnie Carter, Yoselin Corrales, and El Moss were notified that the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office would be filing a motion to dismiss all charges against them stemming from a protest at the Denver Field Office in Centennial, Colorado on July 20.
All four protesters were charged with obstructing a passageway, while Yoselin and El were also charged with obstructing a police officer. After their arrests, the Centennial protesters quickly gained legal representation from the Protest Defense Coalition, committed to solidarity, and vowed to fight against these charges together.
The first stage of the defense campaign required raising public awareness, so the Centennial protesters immediately issued a joint statement to share their perspective on what occurred and set up a page to raise funds for possible legal fees. Next, they hosted a nationwide call-in to the district attorney’s office to reiterate that the protesting is not a crime, that the people stand with the protesters, and to demand that the charges be dropped. While the community overwhelmingly supported the Centennial protesters, a month after their arrest, there had been no noticeable change on the legal front, so they knew they needed to increase public pressure.
In August, the Centennial protesters united to host the recurring weekly vigil at the Aurora GEO Detention Facility that honors all those detained inside and those lost to ICE violence. At this event, the protesters spoke about how there has been an increase in political repression while actively letting ICE get away with murder.
Anti-ICE sentiment has been growing across the country When the public could hear from the protesters themselves, it humanized the injustice and brought more people into the fight.
On September 9, the over 40 people show up to offer court support as the Centennial protesters held a press conference and faced their initial hearings, which resulted in arraignments for two of the protesters. Because the DA’s office was overbooked with four hearings, two protesters walked away without completing the first step in the process and were rescheduled.
At the press conference, Corrales’ attorney Victoria Dorn said, “It’s incredibly disappointing that Amy Padden, who ran as a progressive prosecutor, is choosing to file charges against individuals who are trying to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community, instead of going after ICE agents who day after day violate state and federal laws, not just here in Denver but across the country.”
All four of the protesters were in the process of working with their lawyers and preparing for their next court date on October 20 when they received the good news.
“This is not just a victory for the Centennial protesters; this is a victory for organizers everywhere. It shows that when we come together and fight back, we can win! It also proves that developing connections and solidarity across movements, fighting back publicly, and strengthening people power is vital to building a successful defense campaign,” said Yoselin Corrales
Burnsed, Carter, Corrales, and Moss are still facing federal charges and will be returning to court on October 8 at the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in Denver for their first federal hearings and are inviting the public to attend.
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