Eighty-seven people were arrested yesterday (July 14) for protesting the death of Breonna Taylor on the front lawn of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s house, The Washington Post reports. Among the protestors arrested were the rappers Trae tha Truth and YBN Cordae, XXL reports.
A spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department tells Pitchfork that each arrested person was charged with one felony (Intimidating a Participant in a Legal Process), one misdemeanor (Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree), and one violation (Criminal Trespassing in the Third Degree).
The spokesperson said the charges are “[d]ue to their refusal to leave the property and their attempts to influence the decision of the Attorney General with their actions.”
Online records from the Louisville Metro Police Department show that Trae and Cordae were both booked into jail last night and released very early this morning. On Instagram, Trae shared footage from the protest, his arrest, and his release from jail.
The protest was organized by Until Freedom, an organization that calls for justice for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency room technician who was shot dead when police entered her apartment on March 13 without warning. Brett Hankison, one of the three officers involved in the shooting, has been fired, but criminal charges have still not been leveled against the officers.
When contacted by Pitchfork, a representative for Trae tha Truth shared the following statement from the rapper: “I will always sacrifice for what is right. We want justice for Breonna Taylor and her family, until then the fight continues. No justice, no peace.”
Representatives for YBN Cordae offered no comment when reached by Pitchfork.
Read “Trae tha Truth on His Friend George Floyd’s Link to Houston Hip-Hop and the Fight for Justice” on the Pitch.