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Catco photographer James Olsen has been arrested outside of L-Corp’s National City headquarters during a protest related to L-Corp’s production of alien detection devices.
The protest came days after L-Corp CEO Lena Luthor announced that the company had nearly completed all of the research and development necessary to put an alien detection device on the market within the year.
Some five hundred odd attended the event, waving signs with slogans such as “ALIENS DESERVE PRIVACY TOO” and “NO OUTING ALIENS.” While it was clear that a number of the protestors were aliens- species such as T’harans, K’hund, and Tamaranians were all spotted- the majority of the protestors appeared visually identical to humans. However, whether they were has yet to be confirmed.
A counter-protestor, who only wanted to be identified as Human Male, said that this is exactly why the alien detection devices were necessary. “The real dangerous ones hide among us humans… we should know who we’re talking to, if they’re dangerous.”
Another counter-protestor, Maryann Dorsey, a National City native, was adamant that this was an immigration issue. “They’re illegal aliens. Literally. This country is for humans first and humans only.”
“Humans first and humans only” has become a slogan of the anti-alien group the Children of Liberty. The group has been known to coordinate “patrols” of majority alien neighborhoods and has recently gotten into trouble with the NCPD for two members’ assault of an elderly alien. However, charges were not pressed and the case was dropped.
“They’re terrorists. Plain and simple.” Was what a protestor, who wished to remain anonymous, told our reporters. That sentiment was found across the crowd of protestors with some having signs directly calling out the Children of Liberty as a hate group.
Local lawyer Kara Danvers, who specializes in alien-related legal matters and was in attendance at the protest, told us that the ACLU has been trying to get the Children of Liberty designated a hate group but nothing official has come to pass. This is particularly pertinent, because the Pulitzer Prize-winning James Olsen was arrested after an altercation with three Children of Liberty members.
According to witnesses, the Children of Liberty members- whose identities have not been given to the press for their own protection- were acting as counter-protestors and were engaging with an Alderian couple when Olsen got involved. Beyond that, witness statements become contradictory, with some saying the Children of Liberty were harassing the couple and others saying they were just having a peaceful, if heated, discussion. Either way, the altercation ended with one Children of Liberty member being taken to the hospital and the other two with injuries. Olsen too was injured, having broken his arm and otherwise being bruised.
At the time of writing this, Kara Danvers said she would post Olsen’s bail and do her best to see that the charges are dropped.
Beyond that, L-Corp has put out a statement decrying the violence and saying that their alien detection devices will be on the market this spring.