Josie Mulvihill was still a senior at Norwalk High School when she was arrested for touching the arm of an Iowa State Patrol (ISP) officer during a protest at the Iowa State Capitol in April. The 18-year-old was charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer, even though Officer Dylan Hernandez said Mulvihill “pushed my arm […]
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Protesters banned from Iowa Capitol reach settlement with the state in First Amendment lawsuit
The Iowa Department of Public Safety and Iowa State Patrol (ISP) will no longer attempt to ban protesters from the Iowa State Capitol for participating in protests, as it did last year, under the terms of a settlement approved by a federal judge on Tuesday. The state of Iowa will also pay $5,000 each to […]
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Gov. Reynolds promises Iowa will ‘act as a counterweight’ to the Biden administration at rightwing Christian summit
Gov. Kim Reynolds began her speech at the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines on Friday by explaining she had a cold. The cold affected her voice, but did nothing to diminish the enthusiasm she showed at the annual meeting of the right-wing Christian lobbying group the Family Leader (inexplicably stylized as THE FAMiLY LEADER), […]
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Iowa Legislature passes bill that increases penalties for some protest-related offenses, protects drivers who hit protesters from lawsuits
The Iowa Legislature has passed a bill that increases penalties for people engaged in protest, increases qualified immunity for police officers and shields drivers who strike protesters from civil lawsuits. SF 342, the so-called “Back the Blue” bill, passed the Republican-led Senate on a party-line vote on Monday, and passed the House on Tuesday with […]
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More than 100 rally on the Pentacrest in support of Palestinians
More than 100 people gathered at the edge of the Pentacrest on Saturday afternoon to show support for Palestinians as the Israeli military continued attacks on the Palestinian territories in response to rockets fired by the militia Hamas into Israel. The Protest for Palestine, organized by students affiliated with the University of Iowa Middle East […]
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Student arrested for allegedly pushing state trooper’s arm during protest of ‘racist bills’ at State Capitol
An 18-year-old high school senior was arrested at the Iowa State Capitol after allegedly tapping a state trooper on the arm during a peaceful protest on Thursday. Josephine Mulvihill was part of a group of Black Lives Matter supporters from around the state protesting a series of bills that would grant expanded immunity to law […]
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Jury acquits Des Moines Register reporter arrested while covering a protest last spring
A Polk County jury took less than two hours on Wednesday to acquit Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri of the two misdemeanor charges she was facing. The charges resulted from Sahouri’s May 2020 arrest by a Des Moines Police Department officer while she covering a Black Lives Matter protest. Sahouri had been charged with […]
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Cedar Rapids establishes the second police review board in Iowa
The Cedar Rapids City Council gave final approval on Tuesday to the establishment of an independent citizen review board that will oversee the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The board will be responsible for reviewing police data and policies, implementing a program of community outreach and be part of future police chief candidate selection committees. The […]
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‘It is a milestone day’: Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously approves police review board during first vote
The Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously advanced an ordinance that puts the city one step closer to establishing an independent citizen review board for the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Tuesday’s vote was the first of three required to enact the ordinance. If approved in February, Cedar Rapids will be the second city in the state […]
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The Cedar Rapids City Council will vote on a citizen review board for CRPD in early 2021
One of the first items the Cedar Rapids City Council will take up in 2021 will continue work that was started last summer — creating an independent citizen review board in the city. At the council’s first meeting of the new year on Jan. 12, there will be a motion to set a public hearing […]
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Des Moines-area group stages ‘Back the Blue’ march in Iowa City
The Facebook post promoting the “Back the Blue” march in Iowa City on Friday evening said the event would have a “special guest” — it didn’t mention the tractor, or the bagpiper. But the approximately 75 people who gathered for the event marched from College Green Park to the Pentacrest, and back again, following a […]
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Iowa City Council is holding a listening session on community policing at Mercer Park
The Iowa City Council will hold the first of six listening post events on police reform at Mercer Park on Wednesday evening. Each of the six planned events will focus on an issue important to improving community policing in Iowa City. Wednesday’s listening post will focus on how to better handle situations involving mental health, […]
