A controversial Second Amendment activist and libertarian talk radio host who called for an armed protest blocks away from the White House is refusing to cooperate with law enforcement after being arrested for possession of drugs and illegal firearms.
Adam Kokesh, a Marine and Iraqi war veteran, was calling on his supporters from around the nation to arm themselves and march on the Capitol against what he considers a corrupt and tyrannical government. He has now canceled the event but at one point expected 1,000 people to attend.
He appeared before a judge Thursday in a wheelchair after refusing to cooperate with arraignment proceedings. After refusing to speak to the judge, he was ordered locked up without bail until trial.
Kokesh was arrested at his Virginia home Thursday after a U.S. Park Police raid that uncovered psychedelic mushrooms. The raid led not only to felony drug charges, but also to charges for possession of firearms with an illegal substance. Friends in the house at the time of the arrest were briefly detained.
A press release published on Kokesh’s blog, Adam Vs The Man, paints the picture of how the arrests went down, with witnesses describing a scene that involved two low-flying helicopters, a light-armored vehicle and several squad cars. It states the police used a battering ram to break down the door.
“Throughout the ordeal, the police repeatedly showed a volatile desire to initiate aggressive, forceful conduct with detainees,” the press release states. “At one point, Adam politely requested to use the restroom and was kicked by the officer forcing him to sit handcuffed on the floor.”
Following his arrest, Kokesh’s house was cleared by officers, according to the release.
Park Police Lt. Pamela Smith told The Washington Post her department would not respond to the allegations brought forth by those who were in the home at the time of the arrest.
Kokesh was on law enforcement’s radar after he posted a video on YouTube calling for an armed protest in Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House. His protest would have been illegal, as guns are not allowed in public in the District of Columbia.
In the video, Kokesh is seen loading his weapon in Freedom Plaza, calling for thousands of Americans to join him in the act of civil disobedience.
“We will not be silent, we will not obey. We will not allow our government to destroy our humanity,” he says on the video. “We are the final American revolution. See you next Independence Day.”
He’s most notably known for his blog, which has more than 70,000 followers on Facebook and includes a daily podcast.
Kokesh was most recently arrested in June for illegal use of a microphone after giving a speech at a pro-marijuana legalization rally.