Free Conor Cauley Now! Justice for Leah Grady!
We in the DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression stand in full solidarity with Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) in demanding justice for Conor Cauley, Leah Grady, and all those facing political repression at the hands of the state.
At a time when our right to political protest is under attack - as evidenced by the arrest and subpoenaing of activists involved in the LA uprisings of June 2025 - it is by no surprise that activists standing in solidarity with Palestine would be criminalized for exercising their constitutionally enshrined rights.
At a city council meeting last May about Palestine, Conor and Leah were wrongfully targeted and brutally arrested by Jacksonville Sheriff Officer Alliaga Ruiz and others; Conor was grabbed by his neck and thrown over a row of chairs and subsequently pinned to the ground.
After sham trials in which Conor and Leah were both convicted, Conor was sentenced to 60 days in Jail, 150 hours of community service, writing an apology letter to the officer that brutalized him, 3 years of probation, and a stay away order from Officer Ruiz. Leah was sentenced to time served, 50 hours of community service, review of Jacksonville’s City Council rules, a written apology to the City Council president, and 6 months of probation.
Conor’s imprisonment and Leah’s conviction are clear examples of the rising tide of repression against the people’s movements, driven by the Trump administration's embrace of any means to target and stop activists and organizers fighting back against US imperialism and racist policing. This is especially felt as Conor’s stay away order is a gag order on his ability to participate in protests and other political events for Palestine, lest Officer Ruiz be in attendance too.
Further, these cases in Jacksonville are prime examples of why we in DC and all NAARPR branches around the country, unite in the fight for community control of the police. When the people of Jacksonville have say over police matters, including budget, training, hiring/firing, internal policy and union contracts, officers like Ruiz will be removed from the force. Or, at the very least, if she was employed by JSO, she will be the one on trial facing charges for her brutality and blatant disregard, instead of Conor and Leah. The people of DC, Jacksonville, and all cities across the Black-belt South and the US, need public safety and accountability that keeps people, not the police, safe to exercise our democratic rights.
We hold up Conor and Leah and stand in full solidarity and support with all those facing political repression, from Jacksonville, to DC, to LA, to Palestine. If you would like to donate to Conor's gofundme and commissary while he is imprisoned, please donate HERE