In the first week of June, Oakland resident Luis Leal joined thousands of protesters in San Francisco to rally in solidarity with immigrants and against federal raids. He would become one of more than 150 arrested during the June 8 demonstration that ended with some protesters hurling eggs, paintballs and hammers at the walls of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement headquarters on Sansome Street.
But on Wednesday morning, a San Francisco trial judge dismissed all charges against Leal for resisting arrest and failing to obey verbal commands from the police. Body camera footage had exonerated the protester, the city’s public defender’s office said.
In a press statement, Deputy Public Defender Nuha Abusamra described Leal as a “proud Mexican American who was peacefully protesting in solidarity with the people of Los Angeles and around the Bay Area after the first surge of violence and unlawful ICE raids.”…