D.C. Officially Settles First Amendment Lawsuit Over National Guard Protest

Published Jun 30, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT

ACLU of D.C. argued that O'Hara's detention over his protest was a violation of his First Amendment rights.

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Published Jun 30, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT

An undisclosed financial settlement has been awarded to a Washington, D.C., resident who was handcuffed and detained for playing the "Imperial March" from the movie 'Star Wars' on a loudspeaker while following a group of marching National Guard troops. In announcing the settlement, the government of the District of Columbia upheld Sam O'Hara's right to free speech, which was the basis of a First Amendment lawsuit brought on his behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C. "This is definitely a step toward feeling vindicated, but I won’t feel completely vindicated until my case against the National Guard is resolved," O'Hara said in an interview with Military.com, referring to his continuing case against the Ohio National Guard and Sgt. Devon Beck, who summoned D.C. police to detain O'Hara. "In my opinion, they were on a power trip. I’m not holding my breath for a personal apology, but this settlement is an important step."