Help Liz & Aalap Get Justice

Hi Potential Funders!

My name is Aalap Bommaraju, I'm a first-year PhD student in University of Cincinnati's Sociology program and my partner, Liz Cambron, is studying for an MFA in University of Illinois at Chicago's Moving Image program. Liz and I need your support in dealing with our arrest and prosecution during a peaceful protest we attended on Tuesday, November 25th, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. We both have our permanent addresses in Cincinnati, Ohio and are strongly rooted in our community. This is why we were involved in the protest movement here.

Liz and I (along with 5 other people) were arrested on I-75 northbound as part of a peaceful protest in Cincinnati against the rash of violent police responses to people of color across the United States. Although our protests were peaceful and targeted very important social issues involving police action, we were nevertheless arrested without cause and were summarily punished. We were sent to jail for 3 days.

We are asking for your financial support to help us pay for the costs associated with imprisonment and for a lawyer to defend us against charges that we are facing. So far we have had to pay $900 to be released from prison and we have spent $1000 on a lawyer to represent us. We will likely have to pay additional costs if we are taken to trial or if further fines are levied against us.

As members of the academic and professional communities, Liz and I are aware that we occupy privileged spaces and, as such, we promise to use 50% of the funds raised here to help with the legal costs of less advantaged members of the protest group. That means that we will distribute 50% of the funds raised here to protesters who were arrested with us who are struggling to pay their fines.

We are very grateful for whatever support you can offer!

Liz and Aalap