Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Palestinian American and Democratic candidate for Congress within the ninth District of Illinois, has been indicted by the Division of Justice on costs linked to protests outdoors an ICE facility. The indictment alleges that Abughazaleh and a handful of different protesters conspired on the morning of September twenty sixth to forestall an ICE agent “from discharging the duties of his workplace, and to injure him in his individual or property.”
The indictment accuses Abughazaleh and the opposite protesters named in it of banging on an ICE agent’s automotive and making an attempt to cease it from coming into an ICE facility by bodily surrounding it, scratching the phrase “PIG” into the automotive, breaking a facet mirror, and breaking off a rear windshield wiper. As MSNBC reviews, different defendants embody Michael Rabbitt, a Cook dinner County Democratic Committee member, and Cat Sharp, a candidate for the Cook dinner County Board of Commissioners, and the costs of assaulting an officer can carry jail sentences of as much as eight years.
A video of Abughazaleh being thrown to the bottom by an ICE agent outdoors the Broadview facility went viral in September, and on the identical morning because the incident cited within the indictment, she posted a video on X of her and different protesters surrounding an ICE automobile.
As MSNBC notes, in latest weeks, right-wing accounts have repeatedly posted about her movies, calling for her to be arrested and tagging US Legal professional Common Pam Bondi. On the identical time, Trump has stated that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson needs to be jailed for allegedly “failing to guard” ICE officers. The Trump Administration has additionally charged or threatened felony costs towards others who’ve opposed his agenda, together with former FBI Director James Comey, New York Legal professional Common Letitia James, and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Abughazaleh, who has a background as a journalist and influencer on social media channels like Twitch, posted a video as we speak responding to the indictment, stating:
“This can be a political prosecution, and a gross try and silence dissent, a proper protected underneath the First Modification. This case is a significant push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anybody who speaks out towards them. That’s why I’m going to combat these unjust costs.”
Abughazaleh goes on to notice that “ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and teargassed tons of of protesters.” She additionally calls out the Trump administration for “weaponizing the federal justice system” to scare protesters, however vows “we’re not going to be silent.”
“This case targets our rights to protest, converse freely, and affiliate with anybody who disagrees with the federal government.”
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