All Charges Dropped Against J20 Defendants, But Many Still Struggle To Heal

In the courtyard off of Independence Avenue outside of the D.C. Superior Court, a small crowd gathered around Michael Basillas, a 32-year-old trans woman of color and an activist—one of more than 200 people arrested and charged under the D.C. Riot Act on Inauguration Day in 2017.

“The system is not broken. The system is working perfectly for what it was built for,” said Basillas. In the distance, several suit-clad professionals looked up from their lunches.  Read more.