Christian Miles, a Washington DC resident arrested near the National Mall's reflecting pool on Monday, told the Guardian he plans to fight the charges. The arrest comes as Donald Trump continues to blame vandals for the botched renovation of the pool, which has been plagued by algae blooms and peeling polyurethane liner after the Trump administration spent $14.2m to renovate it.
Arrest at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Miles was seen on video being dragged away in handcuffs from the reflecting pool. He was charged with violating a federal obscenity law for berating a group of Oklahoma state troopers guarding the site. Miles, a freelance video editor and former US navy submariner, has made it a personal project to document what he calls the "creeping police state" by filming confrontations with federal troops and officers.
According to Miles, he was arrested seven minutes after using obscene language while protesting the security crackdown at the reflecting pool. He plans to contest the charge under section 2.34 (a) (2) of the Code of Federal Regulations, which prohibits disorderly conduct involving obscene language or gestures that could incite a breach of the peace.
Trump's Claims and the Botched Renovation
Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the pool had been slashed with a knife and that six people were arrested for damaging the pool. However, the actual charges filed against those arrested have not included any damage to the pool. The renovation, intended to turn the water "American flag" blue in time for the US's 250th birthday, has been beset with problems.
In an email to the Guardian, Miles noted the irony that one of the Oklahoma state troopers told him the US was a free society because he could video freely, unlike in China. Miles was arrested shortly thereafter for using obscene language.
