Over the last few weeks we have been working to support everyone arrested during the George Floyd uprising. As the rebellion continues, we would like to take a moment to report back to our community about the work that we have been doing so that you can have a clearer picture of the current status of arrestees in the Bay Area.

Overview of Arrests, Bailing, and Bonding:

Many people were arrested or cited during the protests, including over a hundred people who were detained and charged with felonies. The charges protesters are facing range from misdemeanor curfew violations to felony arson, burglary, and vandalism. Most of those who were arrested on misdemeanor charges were cited and released. We, along with People’s Breakfast Oakland, Anti-Police Terror Project, Community Ready Corps’ Black Solidarity Fund and Silicon Valley DSA, have bailed out everyone who was bailable–over 30 people in total. To our knowledge, the only protesters who remain in custody are two people who are not bailable due to holds placed on them stemming from previous cases. We have given both of these individuals commissary funds and are continuing to track their cases to see if we may be able to bail them out in the future. 

Court Updates for Arrestees:

For those who were arrested in Oakland on June 1 or in San Francisco on June 3 for curfew violation or other minor, non-property, non-violent charges, the District Attorneys have said that you will NOT be charged. You can verify this by calling the DA’s office. For Alameda County: 510-272-6222; for San Francisco: 628-652-4000. You do not need to and should not answer any other questions when you call. 

If you are issued another court date or are notified of new charges being filed against you, please call or email the National Lawyers Guild for help: 415-909-4NLG or [email protected].

We also recommend that everyone arrested in connection with a Bay Area demonstration fill out a confidential, secure online form in order to get free legal help from the National Lawyers Guild, including an Arrestees’ Legal Meeting to be held on July 23rd. You can fill out a form at https://arrestee-form.nlgsf.org/.

Arrestees should also continue to check for any updates at: https//arrestees.nlgsf.org/.

Find a Co-Signer Before You Go To A Demo:

In order to be able to bail people out of jail, we need a co-signer. This is a friend or family member of the arrestee who is willing to co-sign the paperwork with the bondsman. By signing, they are taking on financial responsibility if an arrestee does not show up for their court dates. One of the biggest hold ups that we encounter when we are trying to get people out of jail is in helping them to locate a co-signer.

We are therefore recommending that people find a co-signer before going to an action, in case they do get arrested and need to be bailed out. Give that potential co-signer the National Lawyers Guild public hotline number so they can call if you are arrested and we can start the bailing process right away.

Remember: Don’t Talk to Law Enforcement!

Not only is it your right to remain silent, it is your obligation to remain silent for the safety of yourself, your comrades, and the rest of the political movement you are a part of. The best strategy when dealing with law enforcement agents is to remain silent.

If you are taken into custody, the only information you need to provide is your legal name and address. Other than that, just keep asserting your right to remain silent. Remember, cops can and will lie in order to get you to talk–don’t fall for it!