Idaho Mom Arrested for Children Playing in the Park

Sara Brady, a mother from Meridian, Idaho, was arrested on Tuesday, April 21st, after she joined a large group of parents in protesting Idaho’s Coronavirus Stay-At-Home order through a planned “Playdate Protest.”  The City of Meridian closed their playgrounds in March, in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, because of fears that the virus may live on plastic surfaces (such as plastic slides) for several days. Planned as a protest of Idaho’s Stay-at-Home order, through the Idaho Freedom Foundation and Health Freedom Idaho, a group of several dozen parents went to a closed playground at Kleiner Park in Meridian, Idaho, and “took back” the playground area - removing police tape that marked it as closed - so that their children could play.  Sara Brady was part of that group of parents. When told to leave the playground by an officer from the Meridian Police Department, Sara refused compliance and questioned authority to close the playground, citing her right to be in public spaces despite the statewide Stay-At-Home order issued by Idaho Governor Brad Little on March 25th. After Sara was repeatedly told to go away from the playground, and she still refused, she was arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing. Sara was forced to leave her young children in the park with the other protestors, while the police booked her into the Ada County Jail in Boise. Miste Gardner-Karlfeldt from Health Freedom Idaho points out “It was completely irresponsible for the police officer to arrest a mother without allowing her to first be sure that her children were taken care of. He showed callous disregard for the kids’ wellbeing.” Sara Brady tearfully shared her fears with the crowd at the Meridian City Hall protest after her arrest, “It’s just been scary for me, watching what has been going on. Because we live in a country we have to turn over to our kids. My kids saw me get arrested today for just being a mom in a park. What kind of an America is this?” “Do we want to live in an America like this?” she asked. “Our kids deserve better.”