#FreeDeray: Social Media Erupts Over News of Activist DeRay McKesson’s Arrest in Baton Rouge

We live in a digital age that has changed how we protest and call for reform.

That fact was never more obvious than the Saturday night arrest of Black Lives Matter activist Deray Mckesson while in Baton Rouge, LA. He had traveled there to join the demonstrations against the police killing of Alton Sterling earlier this week.

The former Baltimore mayoral candidate had been livestreaming the events of the evening when, according to the Washington Post, he was flagged and violently arrested:

“The group was walking away from a protest and rally that had been dispersed, traveling alongside road traffic on a street that they said does not have a sidewalk…Moments later an officer’s voice is heard. “City police you’re under arrest,”
“What?!” McKesson exclaims. “I’m under arrest y’all.”

This just happened: @Deray was livestreaming when police arrested him. Go to 4:45 https://t.co/86GtDoXDGr

— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) July 10, 2016

Mckesson is currently in police custody, but social media is already calling for his unfair arrest. #FreeDeray trending topic on the U.S. twitter. McKesson texted from custody that he was behind bars alongside 33 other activists. We are waiting to hear the charges against him.

.@deray is in jail w/about 99 other protesters. They all need to be freed. https://t.co/kaM60NL94U

— Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) July 10, 2016

UPDATE: Deray has been released and Twitter celebrated with a #DerayHasBeenReleasedParty.

Me arriving to the #DerayHasBeenReleasedParty pic.twitter.com/0GieZMH2a6

— Ricky Fontaine (@hoodopulence) July 10, 2016

Gift registry… #DerayHasBeenReleasedParty pic.twitter.com/yPCPN6aNaF

— Truthiest (@tmtweetz) July 10, 2016

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