The three protesters arrested for their involvement in a demonstration at a Sunday church service in St. Paul have been released from custody.
Federal judges granted the releases of Minneapolis civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen and veteran William Kelly a day after federal agents arrested the trio on allegations of violating the federal FACE Act, which protects access to health clinics and houses of worship.
Levy Armstrong’s nonprofit Racial Justice Network announced the judge’s orders and shared a video of her arrest.
“I surrendered myself peacefully, deliberately, and with intention. I demanded dignity, humanity, and respect, not just for myself, but for every person who has ever been brutalized, silenced, or disappeared by unchecked government power,” Levy Armstrong said in a statement. “We stood in protest because families are being torn apart, communities terrorized, and constitutional rights trampled. And we will not be intimidated into silence.”
As Levy Armstrong and Allen’s release was announced, Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins ordered Kelly released from custody, rejecting the Justice Department attorney’s claims that he posed a flight risk and danger to the public.
In explaining her decision, Elkins cited Kelly’s lack of criminal history and his U.S. Army service from 2007-2011, which included a deployment to Iraq. He now suffers from a back injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, she said.
She cautioned that Kelly faces a felony and said the charges are “no small thing.”
She asked him to follow conditions of his release, which includes reporting to the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services and restricting travel as his case continues through the courts.
