Demonstrators Arrested With Mayor Gray Get Sept. Court Date

A group of people arrested during a Capitol Hill protest in April with District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray now have a trial date.

Gray and most of the 40 other people arrested with him opted to pay a fine and have the charges against them dropped.

A handful of protesters decided to go forward with preparations for a trial. A judge on Tuesday set a Sept. 19 date for their trial.

They were among more than 100 people who gathered outside the Hart Senate Office Building April 11 to protest the budget deal reached to avoid a federal shutdown. When the protest spilled onto Constitution Avenue and police closed the roadway, protesters sat down in the roadway. Police approached and arrested them one by one.

Washington was used as a pawn in the budget bargaining, with new restrictions part of the price of a deal, city leaders have said. The deal means the city likely can't use local tax money to pay for abortion services or needle exchange programs.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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