US EditionDC Man Sues Over Detention for Star Wars Protest
Sam O'Hara alleges First and Fourth Amendment violations after being detained for playing 'The Imperial March' in protest of National Guard deployment, with over 2,300 troops patrolling the city.
- A Washington, D.C. man named Sam O'Hara is suing the District of Columbia, police officers, and a National Guard member for violating his constitutional rights during a protest on September 11, where he followed troops playing Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars.
- The lawsuit claims O'Hara was detained without charges for 15 to 20 minutes after Sergeant Devon Beck called the police to report him.
- O'Hara seeks compensatory damages, asserting that his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated during the incident, which he describes as a peaceful protest against troop deployments in D.C.
- The American Civil Liberties Union is representing O'Hara, emphasizing that the government cannot suppress humor in protests and must uphold free speech rights.
114 Articles
114 Articles
D.C. Man Sues Over Arrest for Playing ‘Imperial March’ Behind National Guard Members
Welcome back to Monday Barf Bag. If we were in the Star Wars universe, Donald Trump and his allies would—by their own admission—serve the Galactic Empire (aka the bad guys.) In May, the White House posted an AI-generated photo of the president wielding a red lightsaber, a tell-tale sign of villainy. Then speaking to GOP senators last week, the president asked “Darth” to “stand up, please” before revealing that Darth Vader is his nickname for Rus…
Man arrested for playing ‘Star Wars’ song behind National Guard sues
A man protested the National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., by following the soldiers while playing Darth Vader’s iconic opening song from the movie series "Star Wars." After a guardsman got local police to detain him in an attempt to stop the music, he’s now suing for civil rights violations. Sam O’Hara documented his musings on his TikTok account, at one point getting 4.4 million views and thousands of comments from users amused by him …
D.C. man sues after detention while playing Star Wars theme near National Guard patrol
A Washington, D.C., man filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit alleging police unlawfully detained him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing the “Imperial March” from Star Wars on his phone. The suit was filed on Thursday. It names the District of Columbia, four Metropolitan Police Department officers, and Ohio National Guard Sgt. Devon Beck as defendants and seeks damages and declaratory relief. In the complaint, plaintiff Sam…
DC man detained for playing Darth Vader's theme song behind National Guard, lawsuit says
A man who says he was detained by police for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader's theme song from "Star Wars" on his phone sued the District of Columbia on Thursday, claiming the officers violated his constitutional rights.Sam O'Hara's federal lawsuit says the ominous orchestral music of "The Imperial March" is the soundtrack for his peaceful protests against President Donald Trump's deployment of Guard members in …
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