The protester played “The Imperial March,” a song associated with Darth Vader, while walking behind the troops.
A Washington, D.C. resident who was detained by police for playing Darth Vader’s theme from Star Wars while filming Natural Guard troops in D.C. this summer has filed a lawsuit, arguing that his constitutional rights were violated.
Sam O’Hara is suing D.C. police and a member of the Ohio National Guard who alerted police that he was playing the song, alleging his First Amendment speech rights and Fourth Amendment rights against improper seizure were violated.
On September 11, to convey his disgust with President Donald Trump’s deployment of troops to D.C., O’Hara played “The Imperial March” on his phone while trailing behind the National Guard. The song is used in the Star Wars franchise to convey the presence of the evil emperor and his second-in-command, Darth Vader. According to O’Hara’s account, he walked behind the National Guard while they moved through the streets, keeping enough distance that he wasn’t interfering with their activities but close enough that they could hear the music.
