Woman arrested for protesting at Decatur mayor’s home remains in jail
MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Alainah Dailey has been a loud voice in the fight for change in the city of Decatur.
For the moment, that voice has been silenced.
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On Friday, protesters in Decatur returned to the streets of the city, protesting for a change to the city’s parade ordinance established in 1979 requires protesters to file for a parade permit to organize.
They also returned to the home of Mayor Tab Bowling where police said they received multiple calls to complain that a woman was in the area screaming and yelling. That woman was Dailey.
A video posted by Dailey on social media captured the moment that she was asked to leave by police, but Decatur police say that she refused.
Dailey was the only one among the few protesters at the mayor’s home to be arrested. Supporters of Dailey say that she was set up.
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“We definitely think she was targeted the night of the arrest,” Briona Watkins, of the Movement for Stephen Perkins, said. “As you can see in her video on social media, she was asked with the other protestors out there that night to disperse, and she did no different than the other protesters did.”
Dailey was charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction.
According to the Madison County district attorney, the DA filed a motion on Monday to revoke Dailey’s pretrial bond for a felony third-degree escape charge last year related to a DUI arrest. Dailey will remain in a Morgan County jail until March 5.
On Thursday, Dailey released a video from jail vowing to return to activism.
“I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t think that I am going to protest again for a while,” Dailey said. “I think instead of protesting I’m going to be setting up meetings with senators and congressmen and the ethics committee. These are the people that can get Hunter Pepper and the mayor out.”
Mike Stovall, a protestor in Decatur, told News 19 that law enforcement in Decatur should treat Dailey, who has two young children to care for, as a person who needs to be free to continue caring for her children.
“If they say that they are pro-life, then be pro-life from the womb to the grave,” Stovall said. “But we in the community will look out for her. This community has surprised me the way that they are behind her.”
According to Decatur city council members, Dailey is among over 30 demonstrators arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after protesting in Decatur.
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