Ten people who were arrested for blocking commercial street during a pro-Palestinian protest in Portland pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Thursday.
The Maine Coalition for Palestine hosted a full day of protests across the city of Portland on Thursday in defense of Gaza and what they call "the U.S. government's complicity in the genocide."
Across the street from the Cumberland County Courthouse, Liz Seaton sings a song for peace.
"This song is, it's just a message about how the country needs to pay attention to this, the world needs to pay attention to it. And this is about my hope for over there," Seaton said.
Seaton was one of dozens of supporters who showed up to support Gaza and those charged for their actions. Like the other nine defendants, John Devlin pleaded not guilty and rejected a deal offering him 30 hours of community service to have the misdemeanor wiped from his record.
"We want this story to continue, not to have it end with accepting the deal that the court would offer us to continue to highlight the ongoing genocide," Devlin said.
Jamila Levasseur is one of the group's organizers.
"We made an impression in the courtroom, because it was impossible for anyone to be in the courtroom and not know why we were there," Levasseur said.
Of the 20 people arrested on May 21, many have refused a deal offering them community service to have their misdemeanors dismissed. Instead, they are hoping for a trial.
Devlin, Levasseur and the others are scheduled to be back in court in November.
