When troops from Ohio's National Guard were deployed to Washington D.C. to menace locals as part of President Trump's crime "emergency" there, Sam O'Hara followed them around playing The Imperial March from John Williams' score to The Empire Strikes Back. He was detained by local police, and now he has won what the American Civil Liberties Union describe as a "substantial" financial settlement.
It is not illegal to play Darth Vader's theme tune, even if it upsets the goons. Here's O'Hara, in a statement sent to media: "The government's efforts to silence me ultimately backfired and brought more attention to the unjust deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. This settlement serves as a reminder that constitutional freedoms are worth defending, especially when those in power would prefer we stay quiet."
O'Hara's lawsuit claims that police violated his right to free speech and his right against unreasonable seizure. Millions of people have now seen his videos of guards slouching around town (in camouflage!); he takes care not to get in their way or otherwise obstruct them. Hundreds of federal agents and national guard members remain deployed to the district, despite Trump long ago having bored of the effort.
