Protester who was arrested while supporting Rep. Nicole Collier speaks out

AUSTIN, Texas - A protester who was arrested while supporting State Representative Nicole Collier (D-Fort Worth) is speaking out. 

Collier was also ordered to leave a virtual news conference.

Protester speaks out

What they're saying:

This all stems from Republicans wanting to redraw Congressional districts during the special session. 

Democrats left the state to break quorum in protest. When they came back, they had to sign a paper that said they'll be present and escorted by a DPS trooper. Collier refused and had to stay in the House chambers. 

Jessica Cohen is one of four protesters who was arrested Monday night.

"She had our back when she broke quorum and left for Chicago, and now we got hers," Cohen said.

After the Senate adjourned, DPS said the Capitol would close at 10:30 pm.

"We were like, 'well, we're going to stay. You know, staff is here,'" Cohen said. "They started getting pretty aggressive about it, which seemed really uncalled-for considering we were just trying to negotiate being able to stay and show Rep. Collier our support. They wouldn't budge on it. At 10:31, they're like, 'all right. We told you to leave,' and they just started arresting people. I found myself in handcuffs. It was a little awkward."

The four were charged with trespassing. Cohen says they've also been banned from the Capitol for a year. 

"For me, that's real insult to injury," she said. 

She was released from jail the next morning. 

"As a trans woman, the last place I want to go is somewhere where the law stipulates that men and women have to be segregated. Historically speaking, from my understanding of folks who have been incarcerated, trans women don't usually get treated very well in jail and custody. To say I was scared is probably an understatement. Probably anxious and a little panicky would be more realistic, but sometimes when you believe in something really strongly, you just have to, I don't know, push those feelings aside and realize the inevitability of what needs to be done," she said.

She says lawmakers should be focusing on flood relief this session.

"Why are we still talking about redistricting?" she said.

Her concerns were echoed by those at a Wednesday rally in support of Collier. 

"I think in the same position, that's probably what I would have done," attendee Thalia Castle said of Collier. "They should be talking about flood relief and disaster warning systems."

"Number one is the flood victims, for heaven's sakes. I mean, it's a disaster, it is a crime that occurred in the first place, and we didn't have the right warning systems in place," attendee Michael Nelson said.

Cohen says she has no regrets about what she did. 

"Would do it again wholeheartedly. I wish there had been 20 more of us," she said.

Rep. Nicole Collier gives update

Collier spoke at a virtual news conference Wednesday with the DNC, where she gave an update and spoke against redrawing maps. 

"I'm still under house arrest, I'm not free to leave. In fact, I am confined in a bathroom... we're going to push through this, we're not going to be deterred," she said. "I represent a majority Black and Brown community, and it'll be my constituents, the people who look like me, who will be harmed by any type of redoing of maps by the Trump administration and Abbott administration."

Towards the end of the call, she abruptly says, "sorry, I have to leave. They said it's a felony for me to do this. Apparently I can't be on the floor or in the bathroom."

She turns to speak with someone off camera: "You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom, no hang on, bye everybody, I've got to go."

Dig deeper:

Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about redistricting in a recent interview. 

"When you look at California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, they've squeezed out all Republicans they can possibly squeeze out. What Texas is doing, we're just drawing fair maps as allowed by law," he said.

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