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This summer, people in Chelsea joined those around the state and the country to protest against racism and police brutality, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Some of those protestors were issued tickets by the Chelsea Police for impeding traffic.
Today, a District Court judge dismissed those tickets, saying they were issued under an unconstitutional statute. This comes after a unanimous decision by Chelsea City Council last week to recommend that Chelsea Police Chief Ed Toth dismiss the tickets.
During last week s city council meeting, city attorney Peter Flintoft mentioned that courts might have to get involved if a fine had already been paid.
Credit Andrew Jameson / bit.ly/1xMszCg
The summer of 2020 was marked by protests for racial justice following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
Residents of Chelsea, a small town of around 5,000 people, 95% of whom are white, made their voices heard with marches and protests of their own. The Chelsea Police Department issued at least 18 tickets to those protesters for blocking the road.
Last night, Chelsea City Council recommended that Police Chief Ed Toth drop the charges against the protestors.
The majority of Chelsea residents who spoke during the public comment portion were in favor of dropping the charges. Among those who spoke were parents of kids involved in Anti-Racist Chelsea Youth, or ARCY. Many of those members organized the protests and speeches, and were subsequently issued tickets.