Covington, Kentucky police arrested 13 people, including two reporters, Thursday night time on fees associated to a protest in help of an Egyptian Imam going through deportation. The protest blocked the Ohio River spanning John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge that connects Covington with Cincinnati. A complete of 15 individuals have been arrested with every granted $2,500 bail at a Friday court docket listening to within the Kenton County court docket.
Officers have been seen on video subduing apparently resisting protesters with punches.
Police listed fees as: “Prices vary from Riot 1st Diploma, Illegal Meeting, Failure to Disperse, Obstructing a Freeway, Obstructing Emergency Responders, Prison Mischief, Disorderly Conduct 2nd Diploma, to Resisting Arrest.” Images and movies of protest after particulars on the Imam’s case.
In line with experiences, Egyptian Imam Ayman Soliman, granted asylum in 2018, was jailed final week after his asylum was revoked final month over alleged ties to a Muslim Brotherhood affiliated group, Al-Jameya al Shareya.
Background on Soliman’s case via WLWT-TV on Wednesday (excerpt):
A decide has granted a brief restraining order, permitting a former Cincinnati Youngsters’s Hospital chaplain and native imam to stay in Ohio till his immigration listening to subsequent week.
Ayman Soliman was detained throughout a check-in with ICE final week on the Homeland Safety Workplace in Blue Ash. Since then, he’s been held on the Butler County Jail.
In line with his authorized workforce, a federal district decide has granted a Momentary Restraining Order that can stop the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) from shifting Soliman out of Ohio, not less than till his immigration bond listening to on July 23.
Soliman was granted asylum in 2018, however that was revoked final month, with claims he labored for a group, Al-Jameya al Shareya, that was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a gaggle thought of an extremist group however not designated as a terror group by the U.S.
Soliman’s authorized workforce denies any involvement, stating the Al-Jameya al Shareya shouldn’t be a terrorist group, however a nongovernmental group that gives medical companies and charitable neighborhood companies.
…Soliman has a workforce of attorneys engaged on his case. His bond listening to is scheduled for July 23. A follow-up listening to is scheduled in federal court docket for July 24.
More from WCPO-TV (excerpt):
Immigration officers declare Soliman labored for a charity with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, an allegation that Soliman and his authorized workforce deny. His authorized workforce advised WCPO an asylum officer labeled the group Soliman was concerned with in Egypt as a terrorist group regardless of each the U.S. and Egypt not designating the group as such.
His attorneys stated the asylum officer labeled the group a Tier III terrorist group final yr, saying the group offered help to the Muslim Brotherhood, which additionally they labeled a Tier III terrorist group.
Whereas the U.S. says Hamas, a chosen international terrorist group, has roots within the Palestinian department of the Muslim Brotherhood, and a few of the leaders of the international terrorist group HASM have been beforehand related to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the U.S. has not designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a international terrorist group at the moment.
“The dots don’t join on what they’re saying,” stated Kathryn Brady, Soliman’s legal professional from the Muslim Authorized Fund of America.
Excerpt from the Cincinnati Enquirer on the arrested reporters:
At a court docket listening to in Kenton County on Friday, July 18, a decide set bond for the individuals arrested and ordered them to not be on the Roebling Bridge.
Each journalists arrested by Covington police on July 17 work for CityBeat, a publication that covers information and leisure matters in Cincinnati.
Reporter Madeline Fening and photograph intern Lucas Griffith have been each arrested, CityBeat writer Tony Frank confirmed.
Fening and Griffith are charged with rioting within the first diploma, a felony, and a number of misdemeanors.
Fening is an investigative information reporter with CityBeat who has labored on the publication since 2022, in accordance with her LinkedIn profile. She beforehand labored for WCPO. She has reported on nationwide points that contact us regionally together with fentanyl overdoses, the native Amazon union drive, Ohio’s evolving abortion care panorama, LGBTQ+ rights, and police misconduct, in accordance with her biography on the CityBeat web site.
…Many of the defendants weren’t represented by attorneys. All have been charged with felony rioting and varied misdemeanors. The felony carries a most penalty of as much as 5 years in jail.
The decide set all their bonds at $2,500 and has ordered them to return to their subsequent listening to July 23.
Covington Police statement on the protest arrests:
COVINGTON, KY- At roughly 8:15 p.m. tonight, Covington Police responded to a protest on the Roebling Suspension Bridge that obstructed site visitors and created security issues for each demonstrators and the general public.
Officers initially tried to attach with the protest’s organizer, however have been instantly met with open hostility and threatening habits. Whereas the division helps the general public’s proper to peaceable meeting and expression, threatening officers and blocking crucial infrastructure, resembling a serious bridge, presents a hazard to all concerned.
After warnings have been issued to the group to disperse, a number of people who refused to conform have been taken into custody. Covington Police made a complete of 13 arrests. Prices vary from Riot 1st Diploma, Illegal Meeting, Failure to Disperse, Obstructing a Freeway, Obstructing Emergency Responders, Prison Mischief, Disorderly Conduct 2nd Diploma, to Resisting Arrest.
The Roebling Suspension Bridge was quickly closed through the incident however has since been reopened.
“We respect everybody’s proper to protest, however when demonstrations jeopardize public security and violate the legislation, our officers should take applicable motion,” stated Chief Brian Valenti.
Dozens of officers from businesses throughout Kenton and Campbell Counties responded.
The Covington Police Division stays dedicated to defending the rights of all people whereas sustaining public order.
Respectfully,Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Winship
Assistant Chief of Police – Companies / PIO
Images and movies posted by native reporters and media shops from the protest Thursday and court docket listening to Friday:
Earlier than the bridge protest, a rally in help of Soliman exhibits the success the Purple-Inexperienced alliance has had in radicalizing liberal white ladies in America to help their very own future subjugation below the authoritarianism of communism and Islam:
One other vigil/rally for Ayman Soliman is happening close to the Roebling Bridge.@Local12 pic.twitter.com/9HPk8aW0vC
— Chris Arnold (@ChrisArnoldTV) July 17, 2025
Begin of the march exhibits a automobile making an attempt to cross the bridge being harassed by protesters.
One speaker inspired protestors to cross the Roebling Bridge, stated they have been going to hope on the opposite aspect and initially took up each lanes. Black SUV begins driving throughout the Roebling Bridge pic.twitter.com/sLsjSybQBo
— Sean MacKinnon WLWT (@SeanMacKinnonTV) July 18, 2025
Police subdue a protester who seems to have been resisting arrest:
WATCH: Video seems to point out an officer punching a protester a number of occasions through the protester’s arrest. 13 protesters, together with not less than one journalist, have been arrested after the protests became an impromptu march throughout the Roebling Bridge. https://t.co/a4rnJxBBLU pic.twitter.com/lOzTXwJSM9
— WCPO 9 (@WCPO) July 18, 2025
Nearer view with one other protester arrested:
A protest in help of Ayman Soliman erupted into chaos on the Roebling Bridge, with a number of protesters clashing with police.https://t.co/jalefyWHH6 pic.twitter.com/ybPyksx8mB
— Native 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) July 18, 2025
Individual within the entrance row at Friday’s bail listening to was sporting a Democrat Socialists of America shirt:
The Roebling Bridge protest defendants are showing earlier than a decide through video. There’s a big household and buddy presence within the courtroom for lots of the defendants. pic.twitter.com/IJzJjFn3fd
— Sydney Hawkins (@s_hawkinsnews) July 18, 2025
WCPO reported on a statement by the native DSA chapter (excerpt):
The Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a political group, claims that Covington police “violently broke up the protest” and arrested individuals who have been complying with officers’ orders to disperse.
“A few of these arrested have been brutally crushed, with a number of protesters requiring medical therapy at a close-by hospital,” reads a press launch from the group. “At the very least one journalist was additionally arrested by police regardless of regularly signaling their standing as a member of the press.”
