BATON ROUGE – On Tuesday, representatives with the U.S. Department of Justice announced that district attorneys in Louisiana are joining federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in efforts to preserve Louisiana citizens’ rights to free speech and assembly while protecting the community from violence and destruction.

This means federal law enforcement resources will be available to assist state and local leaders in their efforts to ensure peaceful protests and to reestablish law and order. 

Federal resources will be directed at apprehending and charging any violent radical agitators who attempt to take over peaceful protests and engage in violations of federal law.

U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin said,  “Our Constitutional right to peacefully protest is a time-honored bedrock principle upon which our great nation was founded, and it should be protected."

"Also to be protected is innocent life and property often injured by criminals who hijack otherwise peaceful demonstrations in favor of advancing an alternative agenda.” 

“The demonstrations in Louisiana have been peaceful and I applaud Louisianians for exercising their First Amendment rights in a non-violent manner,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.

“However, if anyone uses these peaceful demonstrations to promote violence or property destruction, prosecutors in my office stand ready to use all available resources to assist our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to enforce the law and protect our communities from acts of violence and lawlessness.”