Washington DC has agreed to pay $50,000 in compensation to a protester who followed National Guard troops while playing Star Wars' notorious Imperial March from his cellphone.
According to court documents obtained by the Associated Press on Thursday, artist and hospitality worker Sam O'Hara reached a settlement with Washington DC in a lawsuit alleging unlawful detention and excessive use of force.
The incident began on September 11, 2025, when O'Hara walked behind an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing the "Imperial March" from his phone. The lawsuit stated the act was a protest satirizing then-President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard in the capital.
According to court records, O'Hara was stopped after a National Guard member reported him to police, and he was held tightly handcuffed for 15 to 20 minutes before being released without any charges.
The following month, O'Hara filed a lawsuit against Washington DC, four Metropolitan Police Department officers, and an Ohio National Guard member. The suit alleged the defendants violated the First and Fourth Amendments, unlawfully restricted free speech, and used excessive force. It sought compensatory and punitive damages on grounds of false imprisonment, assault, and constitutional retaliation.
Under the settlement, O'Hara will receive $50,000. In a statement to the AP, O'Hara expressed satisfaction but stressed that those who violated his constitutional rights should have paid a price individually, saying, "Those who violated my constitutional rights should have paid a price, like having their salaries docked. That's real accountability."
Trump had declared a "crime emergency" in the capital in August 2025 and deployed National Guard troops to the area. The increased federal presence in the predominantly Democratic city drew criticism of overreach and escalated tensions.
