SLO protest leader Tianna Arata’s case gains national attention — and donations are pouring in
The ongoing criminal case against a Black Lives Matter protest leader arrested by the San Luis Obispo Police Department made national headlines Monday as donations flowed in to her legal defense campaign.
On Monday, the news magazine Newsweek reported on the Police Department’s case against local activist Tianna Arata.
Other publications such as Teen Vogue, Hip Hop Wired and MadameNoire have also written about Arata’s case.
On Aug. 5, the agency asked county prosecutors to charge Arata with five felonies and three misdemeanors related to her July 21 arrest after marchers blocked traffic on Highway 101.
If convicted of all charges proposed by the Police Department, Arata could potentially face several years in San Luis Obispo County Jail, though the precise maximum sentence will not be known until the county District Attorney’s Office makes a filing decision.
Arata, 20, has not been formally charged in court, and prosecutors say they have substantial work to do reviewing the San Luis Obispo Police Department’s case against her. She and another arrested protester, Elias Bautista, are not in police custody and are scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment Sept. 3.
A District Attorney’s Office spokesman said it’s possible that prosecutors will not have made a filing decision by then.
As of Monday morning, a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to cover Arata’s legal fees had raised more than $33,700 from 1,100 donors — nearly doubling over the weekend — and a Change.org petition calling on the District Attorney’s Office to not file charges had garnered more than 140,000 signatures.
Much of that nationwide support came from social media users on Twitter, where as of late Sunday night, #FREETIANNA was the No. 1 top U.S. trending hashtag in Twitter’s Music category.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department is asking the District Attorney’s Office to file a total of eight charges against Arata: four felony counts of false imprisonment; one felony count of conspiracy; one count of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, a misdemeanor; one count of inciting a riot, a misdemeanor; and one misdemeanor count of unlawful assembly.
Arata’s supporters took to social media to express outrage over the potential charges against the activist.
Dom McLennon, a member in the hip hop group Brockhampton, shared an Instagram story about the charges against Arata late Sunday. And Elijah Daniel, a comedian and rapper, posted on Twitter Sunday night promoting the #FREETIANNA hashtag.
Social media users’ comments were seemingly compounded by incorrect claims that she’s facing 15 years in state prison if convicted.
Arata’s attorney, Patrick Fisher, said Monday said his client could face serious jail time if the prosecutors file San Luis Obispo police’s recommended charges and Arata is convicted. But Fisher said a county jail sentence is more likely the maximum local prosecutors would seek.
For his part, county District Attorney Dan Dow previously issued a message to the public asking for patience as his office was at the time awaiting the San Luis Obispo County Police Department’s reports, which the office will now review.
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell previously said the department’s accusations against Arata were based on her breaking an agreement to stick to police approved marching routes —which did not include the highway — at the July 21 protest.
On Twitter, users posted reactions to the publicity Sunday night and Monday morning.
“My best friend is being charged with 8 charges including 5 felonies. For peacefully protesting alongside myself and our community,” Twitter user Melissa Elizalde wrote Sunday. “There was no riot it was a beautiful peaceful protest filled with Black and Brown joy.”
“I was in the same protest she organized and she always advocated for a safe and peaceful protest and vehemently rejected any form of violence or rioting throughout the protest, she is innocent and our local county’s PD are trying to ruin her life. FREE HER!” a Twitter user identified as carlosrobnson wrote Monday.
A GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise legal defense funds for Bautista had raised $4,055 as of Monday.
During the July 21 protest, a man identified as Bautista was seen on video scuffling with officers after being thrown to the ground, and appearing to kick one of them, as other officers arrested Arata.
The police department recommended that Bautista be charged with two felony counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer with force, and a count of taking of another person from custody by means of a riot.
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 3:17 PM.
