Protest is an integral part of a progressive democracy. Please act now to save “blue dot” Iowa City, Iowa from our accelerating downward slide into fascism.

As of this morning (December 30, 2023), 107 people have donated a total of $6,611 to support the seven trans people who are being criminally charged for participating in a peaceful protest on The University of Iowa campus on October 16, 2023.

There was a police presence at the protest (University of Iowa Police Department and Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputies) but there were no arrests made that day.

The seven people facing charges did not have more significant roles in the protest than any of the other 100+ protesters. They are simply the only protesters who the UIPD detectives were able to track down in the ensuing weeks following the protest using video surveillance.

The justification for these charges is a direct result of the 2021 Back the Blue law championed by Governor Reynolds. This law grants legal immunity to drivers who hit protesters with their vehicles and creates steeper penalties for anything that can be construed as “unlawful assembly”.

This legislation follows a trend in many red states to punish constituents for protesting racial injustice in 2020.

We don’t yet know how many of the seven protesters will be advancing to trial so it is difficult to predict how much money we will need to raise overall. We appreciate any continued efforts to support us toward our goal.

Your tax deductible donations are being applied to fines, court costs and attorney fees for the seven people criminally charged. Any overage will be applied to the ongoing need for criminal pretrial bond support and immigration bond support.

Please continue to watch this space for updates.

We appreciate everyone who has shared their opinions with County Attorney Zimmermann Smith about her decision to press forward with these charges. To our knowledge, she has not replied to anyone who has communicated with her. She will be up for re-election in 2026.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin in an essay in The New York Times published on January 14, 1962.