JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some protesters who say they were arrested during demonstrations in Jacksonville say they were held in jail for two days.
One veteran told Action News Jax she didn’t even get to go before a judge.
Coricia Campbell told Action News Jax she wasn’t fighting the police or antagonizing them. She was peaceful but later found out that it wasn’t enough.
“When she got pushed away, I looked over…and I was like ‘Oh OK, I’m about to get pushed over, too!’ So I was like, ‘I better not make any abrupt moves.’ And then before I could even really react, he ended up grabbing my arm and pulling me over,” Campbell told Action News Jax.
Campbell was one of the hundreds who attended the peaceful rally for George Floyd on Saturday, May 30.
"Ironically, I had a sign that said, 'Am I next?' And I had no idea how ironic that would be,” said Campbell.
Campbell says, once some protestors began to chant disrespectful phrases about the police, she and her friend headed to their car.
But once she learned that the police had maced and tear-gassed some of her friends, they went to get water and milk for them.
While they were waiting for their friends, they sat down and joined a line of people doing in sit-in across from police wearing body armor and SWAT gear.
"I remember seeing the line of cops steadily growing. It went from like this flimsy line to like the solid wall of cops,” Campbell said.
She says she felt like they were surrounded, with no way out.
“We just kind of we’re waiting for further instructions from them and what they wanted us to do, but they never talked the whole time,” Campbell told Action News Jax.
The next thing she knew, they had pulled her over to the ground.
"And at that point in my mind everything happened so quick, I’m still at that point was not thinking I was going to get arrested,” Campbell explained.
Campbell said they never read her rights to her or explained what was happening.
“Everything you see in movies and books say that when they start putting you in handcuffs, they start reading your rights. But they never did that. So to me, I’m like, ‘oh this isn’t going anywhere.’ They’re just moving me out of the way,” Campbell thought.
They took down her information and took her to jail.
The Marine Corp Veteran says it almost felt like betrayal.
"I put a lot of trust in the justice system, and maybe I’m just naïve that way. But I figured if I’m peacefully protesting and I’m not fighting back the police, if I’m not antagonizing him, if I’m not throwing hands, if I’m doing what they telling me to and not fighting back, maybe things will work out. "
Campbell says it ruined her image of what she thought the [justice] system was supposed to be like.
When Action News Jax asked Campbell if this would discourage her from ever participating in a protest or speaking up for what she believes in, again, she responded: “Absolutely not! I literally fought for my right to use my first amendment speech. So I’m going to use it.”
She also says her bond had been doubled from $750 to $1500.
"I never saw the judge, I never got a phone call. Absolutely nothing,” Campbell said.
Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole asked the State Attorney’s Office why this happened. She is still waiting to hear back.
Campbell is now being represented by the Phillips & Hunt Law Firm.
It has created a GoFundMe for peaceful protesters who have lost money due to having to post bail, pay legal fees, and miss work.
the law firm says 100% of the donations will help reimburse fees and costs for Coricia and other protesters who have shared the same or similar experiences. The rest will be donated to a nonprofit organization to continue to help with the cause.
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