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Grand Rapids Police Arrest Protest Antiwar Organizer on TV After She Condemns Trump

HeadlineJan 06, 2026

Demonstrators rallied outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan where Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were being arraigned Monday, protesting both for and against his detention by the United States. The protests were among dozens held around the U.S. since Maduro’s abduction. In Michigan, antiwar demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday afternoon. Protest organizer Jessica Plichta spoke with local ABC affiliate WZZM.

Jessica Plichta: “We want to stop war with Venezuela. We want to end all U.S. wars. We don’t want boots on the ground in Venezuela. We don’t want to fight Venezuela for oil. We don’t want our friends and families to be sent to Venezuela and be killed for oil.”

As Plichta concluded her interview, two police officers appeared behind her on camera and arrested her. She’s been charged with obstructing a roadway and failure to obey a lawful command from an officer during the protest.

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