ACLU sues on behalf of DC man detained for playing 'Imperial March' behind feds

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Members of the National Guard walk past a building displaying a banner with an image of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 18, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis

On September 11 in Washington, D.C., Sam O'Hara found a creative way to protest against President Donald Trump's use of federalized National Guard troops in the city's Logan Circle area: He played the "Imperial March," which was the Darth Vader character's theme music in "Star Wars."

Although O'Hara was never violent, he was clearly mocking Trump's policies — as Vader is the villain in the sci-fi favorite. And he was detained for it.

Now, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing on O'Hara's behalf, arguing that his First Amendment rights were violated.

On Thursday, October 23 on X, formerly Twitter, Politico's Kyle Cheney tweeted a copy of the ACLU complaint in Sam O'Hara v. the District of Columbia.

The legal filing reads "jury trial demanded" and explains, "In the Star Wars franchise, The Imperial March is the music that plays when Darth Vader or other dark forces enter a scene or succeed in their dastardly plans. It is also the soundtrack of Sam O'Hara's protest against the National Guard deployment in D.C…. Those troops arrived in the District in August 2025, after President Trump decided to flood D.C. neighborhoods with National Guard members from around the country. A few weeks passed, and yet the troops remained."

The ACLU filing continues, "Given the roughly 200-year-old tradition of civilian law enforcement in the United States, Mr. O'Hara was deeply concerned about the normalization of troops patrolling D.C. neighborhoods. And so, he began protesting the Guard members' presence by walking several feet behind them when he saw them in the community. Using his phone and sometimes a small speaker, he played The Imperial March as he walked, keeping the music at a volume that was audible but not blaring. Mr. O'Hara recorded the encounters and posted the videos on his TikTok account, where millions of people have viewed them."

The complaint notes that "Ohio National Guard member Sgt. Devon Beck was not amused by this satire."

According to the filing, "Sgt. Beck contacted the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Defendant MPD Officers Brown, Campbell, Reyes-Benigno, and Lopez Martinez came to the scene and, in essence, did what Sgt. Beck had threatened, putting Mr. O'Hara in handcuffs and preventing him from continuing his peaceful protest…. The law might have tolerated government conduct of this sort a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But in the here and now, the First Amendment bars government officials from shutting down peaceful protests, and the Fourth Amendment (along with the District's prohibition on false arrest) bars groundless seizures…. Both Sgt. Beck and the District’s officers violated these constitutional mandates…. Mr. O'Hara brings this suit to ensure accountability, secure compensation for his injuries, and vindicate core constitutional guarantees."

Cheney's tweet is generating some responses on X.

X user Charlie Royster tweeted, "That tune should be played every single time ICE marches down a city street."

Another X user, Mark Chadwick, posted, " Honestly could not make this s—— up."

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