Released No Kings protest detainees describe arrests as Memphis police cite permit and roadway violations

What happened and who was released

Two people arrested during the “No Kings” protest weekend in Downtown Memphis were released from the Shelby County Jail complex at 201 Poplar on Sunday, March 29, 2026, and described the circumstances surrounding their arrests shortly after leaving custody. A third arrestee was released later the same day.

Memphis Police said six people were detained and three were charged following events tied to the protest on Saturday, March 28. Police reported responding at about 5:15 p.m. to a disturbance near Second Street and Beale Street involving participants from the rally.

Accounts from those arrested

One of the men released Sunday, Adam Nelson, said he was arrested after he tried to intervene when another person was being detained. Video from the scene showed Nelson speaking with officers before being placed in handcuffs. Nelson said he believed police were “moving in and threatening folks” and that he told officers to let the other person go.

Another man, Reuben Burch, was seen on video yelling for people to calm down while pepper spray was being used. Burch said he was sprayed in the face and then arrested. Both men characterized themselves as trying to protect others during a tense moment near the end of the march route.

Police explanation: permit scope, street obstruction, and use of pepper spray

Memphis Police said the event had a valid permit but that it did not include a march on city streets. Police stated officers observed people obstructing traffic, made repeated verbal requests over about 40 minutes for participants to move to the sidewalk, and said some individuals instead interlocked arms to form a human chain in the roadway.

Police said officers began detaining people who remained in the street. During the arrests, police said some people resisted and that an officer used pepper spray.

• Reuben Burch was charged with disorderly conduct, interfering with officer serving process, resisting official detention, and obstructing highway/passageway.

• Adam Nelson was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing highway/passageway, and failure to obey a traffic officer.

• David Rahaim was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting official detention, and obstructing a highway/passageway.

Organizers’ response and the dispute over the march

Organizers said those arrested were protest marshals and that a human chain was used as a safety measure for vulnerable participants, including children and older adults. They said the confrontation occurred as the march neared completion.

A separate police statement said permit terms were agreed upon in advance and that Tennessee law prohibits street obstruction without the appropriate permit. Police also said the department would review encounters between officers and protesters that occurred on the roadway.

The central factual dispute is whether the street march fell within the event’s permitted activity or became an unauthorized roadway obstruction—an issue now intertwined with the arrests, the reported use of pepper spray, and the department’s review of officer conduct.

All three bonds were paid through community donations, and all three arrestees had been released from jail by late Sunday.