Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, condemned the arrest of Siaka Massaquoi, an actor and activist based in California. Massaquoi was arrested at the airport over the weekend upon returning home from the premiere of Daily Wire’s Lady Ballers. He faces four misdemeanor charges related to “trespassing” and “parading” in the Capitol on January 6.
Massaquoi, who has contributed to conservative news sites such as Red State and appeared in videos for Prager U, Daily Wire, and other outlets, was arrested nearly three years after the Capitol protests. The FBI had previously raided his house in the weeks following the events, but charges were not brought until two years later. The arrest occurred in front of Massaquoi’s pregnant wife, and he was reportedly placed in shackles and leg irons before being arraigned alongside individuals accused of drug offenses and violent crimes.
The news of Massaquoi’s arrest sparked outrage among conservatives, with Elon Musk expressing his concern on social media. In response to a news report on the arrest, Musk tweeted, “This has gone too far.” The Babylon Bee’s Seth Dillon also expressed disbelief and linked to a GiveSendGo fund for Massaquoi’s legal defense, which had raised $44,101 in donations at the time of reporting.
The arrest is part of the broader legal actions taken by the Biden Department of Justice against individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol protests. Over 1,400 Americans have faced charges related to the events, with some facing SWAT raids and others committing suicide over the severity of the charges. Critics argue that the legal actions represent political persecution, and there is concern over the disparity in law enforcement measures between the January 6 protests and other instances of civil unrest, such as the Black Lives Matter riots in 2020.
