linkAnd in some cases the riders received an even worse reception from law enforcement officers than they did from school officials. Prior to arriving in Mississippi the Equality Riders were contacted by Clinton, Miss. law enforcement officials and told that they were not allowed to assemble in a large group outside of Mississippi College. Soulforce contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which in turn contacted the city and argued that those restrictions were unconstitutional. Clinton officials relented, but according to a complaint filed by Soulforce with the Mississippi Attorney General's Office police officers repeatedly harassed the bus driver and told the Equality Riders to "get out of town."
But even that treatment pales in comparison to the reception DeVries said they received in Waco, Texas. The five students who were arrested for setting foot on the property of Baylor University were held in jail for 26 hours and forced to sleep on a concrete floor.
The female and transgender riders were "basically strip searched," according to DeVries. He said the riders held in Texas were still recovering emotionally from their treatment at the hands of law enforcement officials.
Yet despite being barred from school property, the Equality Riders have been able to connect with the students themselves.
