Grand Rapids protester arrested after viral TV interview says Venezuela trip led to targeting

Jessica Plichta was arrested on 3 January after a live interview with a local news station about a Grand Rapids, Michigan, protest against the Trump administration’s seizure of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s president, in an attack the report said had a death toll of 100. The interview clip went viral, drawing millions of views, and headlines noted Plichta’s age (22) and that she is a preschool teacher.

Plichta, who co-founded Grand Rapids Opponents of War and helped organize the protest, said she believes her arrest — seemingly the only one among roughly 200 protesters — was linked to a recent trip to Caracas. She had visited Caracas last month as part of a delegation to the International People’s Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace of Our Americas, continued despite the Trump administration’s order to close Venezuelan airspace on 29 November, and said she visited communes, met activists and even spoke with Maduro.

Plichta is now facing misdemeanor charges of “obstructing a roadway and failure to obey a lawful command from a police officer,” according to local outlet 13 On Your Side. Emerson Wolf, co-director of Grand Rapids’ Institute for Global Education and chair of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, said the Grand Rapids police have used similar tactics to suppress local protests; Wolf noted they were arrested last year on the same charge after speaking at a local event and preparing to lead a protest.

Key Topics

Politics, Jessica Plichta, Grand Rapids, Caracas, Nicolas Maduro, International People's Assembly