PHOTO: Protesters outside the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion on March 11, 2026. | Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate
By AINSLEY PLATT | Arkansas Advocate
Four people protesting outside the Governor’s Mansion were arrested Wednesday afternoon, with two facing felony second-degree battery charges, according to Arkansas State Police.
The third was charged with misdemeanor obstruction and resisting arrest, while the fourth was charged with misdemeanor obstruction, harassment and disorderly conduct according to an arrest report provided by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.
One of the two troopers who made the arrests was injured, state police spokesperson Cindy Murphy said Thursday. She did not answer a question about the extent of the trooper’s injuries.
The protest was in response to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ and Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk’s announcement of a proclamation that encourages students in Arkansas high schools and colleges to start chapters of Turning Point USA’s youth organizations.
Around 30 people held signs and chanted on the sidewalk opposite the governor’s official residence in Little Rock during and after the event. At least two Little Rock Police Department cruisers could be seen near the west entrance to the mansion following the event, plus a handful of state troopers guarding the gate. Videos taken later by bystanders during the arrests show several more law enforcement officers throwing people to the ground as more officers arrive, as well as several more cruisers and law enforcement vehicles at the scene.
Murphy’s statement said the arrests came after “a physical altercation between protesters and event attendees outside the Governor’s Mansion.” Three of the arrests were made by state troopers, while the fourth was made by the Little Rock Police Department.
In a video posted online by The People’s Protests and Marches Arkansas, a local activist group, a protester can be seen approaching a man and a woman who attended the announcement and appeared to be filming them with a cell phone.
The man appears to hit or punch the protester when he gets close. The woman accompanying him then appears to shove the protester.
The five-second video does not show the arrests, or what led to the confrontation between the protester and the two attendees. Grainy videos posted by another Facebook account appear to show the arrests, but it is still unclear what prompted police to intervene.
When asked if the event attendees would face charges for shoving the person seen in the video, Murphy said in a text message: “The investigation continues. This is being thoroughly reviewed.”
The People’s Protests and Marches Arkansas asked for community support for the arrested protestors in a post made on its Facebook page.
“Several protesters were assaulted and then arrested, while the people who attacked them walked away without consequences,” the organization wrote. “Instead of receiving protection, they are now facing bail costs and legal fees just for standing up and speaking out.”
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