It seems the Trump administration is going after the first amendment like we knew they would. Speaking out against Donald Trump and his government is apparently enough to get you arrested by the cops these days as one viral video online has shown.
The clip comes from a news interview with 22-year-old pre-school teacher, Jessica Plichta. Plichta had been protesting the U.S. raids on Venezuela which occurred over the weekend and was speaking to a local news crew to share her thoughts on the matter. The second her interview finishes, two officers approach from behind her and detain her all while the camera is still rolling.
Holy shit.
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 5, 2026
Police just arrested a woman for protesting and saying, “This isn’t just a foreign issue, it’s our tax dollars being used to commit war crimes,” in reference to Venezuela.
If that speech is enough to put you in handcuffs, then the problem isn’t public safety.
It’s… pic.twitter.com/jYfJLx0NrF
Plichta appears shocked as the cops put her hands behind her back and place her in cuffs. The officers were heard telling her that she was being arrested for obstructing a roadway and failure to obey a lawful command.
Should Jessica Plichta have been arrested?
Plichta was detained after attending a protest in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which saw crowds of people take to the streets and block roadways to express their objections to U.S. interference in Venezuela. The free speech event was heavily patrolled by police officers as they marched in the road.
“America is officially a totalitarian dictatorship” a post on X read. Plichta spoke out against the Trump regime and that’s why some believe she was really arrested. Another noted that America only had free speech “Upon approval.”
Of course, there were some who argued that she should have been arrested as she technically did commit a crime by blocking the road. In a statement from the GRPD on Monday it was revealed the protest group were warned to move out of the road and officers were told to arrest any protesters they could identify.
However, ask yourself this, would these protesters have been arrested if they were blocking the roads and declaring their love for Donald Trump? Even if they had been arrested, Trump would have likely pardoned them the same way he did with the January 6 rioters.
What happened after?
It’s unclear what will happen to Plichta, she spoke with 13 On Your Side on Monday evening saying she was expecting a notification regarding her legal situation that evening. The charges she is facing could result in a $500 fine, 90 days in prison, or both.
But her arrest has sparked outcry as many understandably view it as an attack on the first amendment. It’s ironic how hard the far-right often campaign for free speech until it is used against them, then all of a sudden they justify arresting people who disagree with them.
