Identities

Black Activist and Hate-Crime Survivor Demetria Hester Arrested After Sunday Protest

MOTHERS UNITED

Hester, a leader of Mothers United for Black Lives Matter, was one of the moms who linked arms to protect protesters from tear gas in July.

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Alisha Jucevic/AFP via Getty

Black activist Demetria Hester was one of 16 protesters arrested in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday night after police declared a demonstration a riot. Hester and the other protesters each face misdemeanor allegations of disorderly conduct and interfering with a peace officer. Hester is a leader of Mothers United for Black Lives Matter and has been a fixture at the Portland protests against police violence and racism, having been one of the moms who linked arms to protect protesters from tear gas in July. Hester was the victim of a hate crime in 2017 perpetrated by Jeremy Christian, who was sentenced in June to life in prison for murder.

Read it at The Oregonian