Lang
2/1/24
Two members of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors have asked county attorney Rachel Zimmerman to drop charges against seven trans and non-binary protestors who were arrested outside the Iowa Memorial Union last fall, but now one supervisor has gone on record as supporting the move.
The seven were arrested during a protest against the University of Iowa student group Young Americans for Freedom, which on October 16th brought anti-trans activist Chloe Cole to speak at the IMU. Nearly 150 people gathered around the building to protest Cole’s appearance. Seven were arrested for allegedly refusing police demands to move out of the roadway at the intersection of West Jefferson and South Madison Streets. Charges include Disorderly Conduct and Interference With Official Acts.
Johnson County supervisors Jon Green and V Fixmer-Oraiz have called for Zimmerman to drop the charges. Green says dropping the charges would show the legislature that Johnson County supports the Constitutional right to protest.
Now, supervisor Rod Sullivan has come out in support of Zimmerman. Sullivan writes in his weekly “Sullivan’s Salvos” column that while he wishes the charges hadn’t been filed, he also respects Zimmerman’s position and it’s not his place to question how she does her job. Sullivan added that he felt it was problematic to have people in power…such as a county supervisor…telling the county attorney who should or shouldn’t be prosecuted. He compared the situation to Donald Trump weaponizing his Justice Department as president to target his rivals. Sullivan reminds his readers that if they disagree with Zimmerman’s decisions…or those of the supervisors…they have the opportunity to vote them out every four years.
Last week the Iowa City Human Rights Commission also called for the charges against the protestors to be dropped. It also condemned recently-enacted anti-trans laws in Iowa, as well as new laws that criminalize blocking traffic during a protest.