US protester arrested after TV interview says she was targeted due to Venezuela trip

Jessica Plichta faces misdemeanor charges, which locals say is a tactic of Grand Rapids, Michigan, police to suppress protests

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 Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, in an attack with a reported death toll of 100. The clip went immediately viral, racking up millions of views across social media. While the headlines focused on Plichta's age (22) and that she's a preschool teacher, Plichta believes the reason for her arrest - seemingly the only one among roughly 200 protesters - went beyond the day's events.

Plichta, who recently co-founded local group Grand Rapids Opponents of War, which helped organize Saturday's protest, had visited the Venezuelan capital of Caracas just last month, amid the Trump administration's blockade. She was a part of a delegation to the International People's Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace of Our Americas. Activists from dozens of groups planned to attend. But after Trump ordered that Venezuelan airspace be closed in its entirety" on 29 November, many canceled their trips.