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Black Lives Matter protester again ordered to face trial or diversion

January 29, 2022

Amman Asfaw

By KAREN VELIE

A Black Lives Matter protester was again ordered to either agree to diversion or face trial for false imprisonment related to detaining a driver during a July 21, 2020 BLM march through the streets of San Luis Obispo, during a hearing on Friday.

Amman Asfaw’s attorney Earl Conaway filed another motion to dismiss, the latest was sought in the “furtherance of justice,” according to the motion. The filing included a letter of recommendation from Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong.

Conaway touted Asfaw’s accomplishments as a first-generation U.S. citizen and the racism he has endured. Conaway argued that a car knocked Asfaw down while he was walking in a crosswalk.

Deputy District Attorney Delaney Henretty called Conaway’s description a gross mischaracterization. Asfaw was not walking across a sidewalk and he was not knocked down — he sat down, Henretty said, noting Asfaw detained his alleged victims to force them to hear his message.

“What if this was a white supremacist rally that detained Asfaw’s family?” Henretty said. “How can you not respect the rights of the pastor and his wife?”

Conaway also argued that the charges were politically and racially motivated.

“We are free to say this is politically motivated because a judge has found it to be politically motivated,” Conaway argued.

In 2020, Judge Matt Guerrero ruled that District Attorney Dan Dow had a clear conflict of interest, and that local prosecutors should be replaced by the California Office of the Attorney General. The state then appealed Guerrero’s ruling. The appellate court has yet to make a decision.

Near the end of Friday’s hearing, SLO County Superior Court Judge Roger Picquet said he looked at all the letters Asfaw provided from the Cal Poly community, the SLO City Council and the community at large. Picquet said he was impressed by Asfaw’s background.

However, Conaway’s motion was not based on a fact finding exercise, Picquet said.

In addition, Picquet said Asfaw could have chosen diversion.

In early 2021, Henretty offered misdemeanor diversion to five of the seven defendants charged following the July 21 protest, which means they could have their charges dismissed if they agree to attend classes or do community service. All five defendants declined the offer.

Picquet said it was inappropriate to grant Conaway’s motion for dismissal. He then set a readiness conference for May 6.


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Seems like a waste of resources while continuing to give the protestors the attention they seek. What’s the point? At least we don’t have to see or hear from these assholes until another electrician cycle


15

google Tiana Arata. she seems to be living quite the new life. wonder where her funding is coming from?


33

I see the klan is alive and well in SLO.


-103

So Pete, you believe it is ok to hold people against their will and make them listen to your message based on the color of skin and the message. What happened to equal rights?


86

JJ…evidently if you don’t genuflect to those who claim to be victims of “systemic racism,” you yourself are now a klansman.


11

I’ll answer your one question.

Duh, of course I do, and apparently maybe I am the only one on here who does.

All I hear is whining about his ‘crime’ without one whit of concern for the over two centuries of abuse people of his tone have gotten.


Nothing new here, and the cause of all this is obvious and simple. It is the same as always and everywhere. God fearing white self satisfied smug right wing folks NOW waving the flag of the law (where were they when black folks rights were violated by systemic rule?) to put down this uppity n—-r.


-70

To be clear I am in favor of equal rights; the lack of that in our society has led to the controversy this young man had the courage to be involved in. And to reiterate I do not know the facts of this case and I imagine others reading the article here are equally ignorant-but their politics drive them to seek vengeange whereas I seek compassion.


-60

He sat down in front of cars on the highway/streets and was arrested for misdemeanor false imprisonment for detaining vehicles.


16

Pete, the truth is most do know the facts of this case. Some had to endure being trapped and forced to be verbally/physically attacked by the protestors. You also forget that we are Californians. We did not tolerate the idea of slavery in California. Not only do we find the idea of discrimination absolutely unacceptable, but have great compassion for equal rights and for what Blacks have had to endure! No One had a problem with the their right to free speech! There is no Vengeance nor lack of understanding. I did not blame them for wanting to protest and speak out! That is their right as Americans! in fact I was 100% for their “protests” until they crossed the line. (Its too bad, they probably lost a lot of support once they did cross that line.) Trapping cars on the freeway, Smashing car windows with a small child in the car just doesn’t get my support!

This is about what is an acceptable way for one person to act against another! You can not prevent me from getting to where I need to go. You cant trap me so you can go off on me, despite your plight! I don’t get to block your way so you can’t get to your job! or the hospital, or wherever!

I don’t know that its unlawful to scream, swear at you, call you dirty names while you are quietly having your dinner? Which also happened to several people. But bottom line, False imprisonment is a Crime!


23

Pete, this type of warped logic is the reason crime is out of control in our country. We either uphold our existing laws or they mean nothing. The logic that because his great great great grandfather may have once been a slave he can commit crimes and go unpunished is garbage.


40

who has the right to hold complete strangers hostage on a major state freeway? I don’t care if they are green with purple polkadots, it is breaking the law!


40

ha! I’d live to see these whipper-snappers actually protest somewhere like say, Mississippi. Alabama? They could not have chosen a SAFER community to protest in! They would have never behaved that way in the southern US. Grow a pair. Get your educations and go down south, teach in the public schools. That is where change is made. Not stopping freeway traffic in the golden state on a sunny summer day, 12-miles from one of the most gorgeous ocean views anywhere! Talk about entitlement!!!


20

That’s right. Just look at what happened on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in the 60’s.


And, by the way, “grow a pair” Really? “educations” Really?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBCTUmTf4GE


-16

Are those letters able be seen as public records? It would be interesting what his supporters are saying on his behalf.


Was he driven by his poverty, racism towards him, he didn’t understand that what he was doing was wrong, he’s justified because of his race, standing for social justice, a nice guy who was misunderstood? Lifetime of oppression? Honorable student and community member?


None of that justifies criminal acts of violence to innocent people in any community. He broke the law and should be held accountable for his actions, especially after rejecting the diversion program which was a way out. Now he needs to face a deserved criminal trial.


57

Deflection and deceit from a defense attorney? Nothing new when trying to change the narrative of the guilty and violent actions of your client. Please notice and keep in the back of your mind those that wrote letters in support of these criminal acts against a community. Their day will come to answer when the shoes on the other foot. No respect for double speaking fools.


49

This is a good example of Black Privilege- breaking the law in the name of “social justice” is not illegal for those with connections and support form the right people. When will people stop lauding every demonstrator like they are just all patriots exercising their first amendment rights? Look at the other nationwide protests that have happened and you will see it is just enabling “recreational rage” similar to Rage Release Rooms. When it devolves into violence, destruction of property, or other issues the organizers need to be held accountable.


109

With crime there are two principle components, the crime itself along with the perpetrator(s) and the victim (s). Everything else like context, and the “but what about…” are a distraction to the issue at hand and ignore the need for real time justice. Lots of people, to varying degrees, are are dealt a bad hand and are faced with the prospect of growing up in poverty, despair, and violence, yet still go on to live criminal free, productive lives. When we as a society start first looking the other way because of context, the various historical injustices ( which by the way is an historical reality), we can kiss civil society goodbye.


Just my opinion.


73

I care.

I don’t know the facts of this case but I know the history of this country: genocide, racism and false bravado. Of course that is mixed in with incredible goodness and courage at times.

The systemic abuses suffered by many in our country must be considered in cases like this.


-182

The facts of the case ARE important. If you ignore the facts and excuse Asfaw’s behavior due to some perceived notion that he is somehow a victim of “systemic racism,” then there can never be justice for those effected by Asfaw’s actions. Where is the line drawn? What is he allowed to get away with due to this incalculable harm that he has suffered? SLO PD has hours of video & drone footage of the protest…let the facts speak for themselves and let an unbiased jury

make the determination.


101

This man made the bad choice to break several laws. Bad choices have bad consequences.


61

In cases like this that you know nothing about?


-33

So he made good choices? Is this the woke logic coming into play? Wrong is right, illegal is legal, etc….


15

You care. Enough to offer excuses but not enough to learn the facts of the case.

How convenient.


8

Nobody cares what his cause is or what he’s claimed to have gone through, he illegally kept people against their will and he should go to jail.


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