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Two Protesters Arrested in Union Square March Against Troy Davis Execution

By DNAinfo Staff on September 23, 2011 3:11pm  | Updated on September 23, 2011 6:46pm

A guest wears a sticker in support of Troy Davis during a press conference at Ebenezer Baptist Church on September 20, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Georgia Pardons Board denied clemency for death row inmate Troy Davis on Tuesday morning.
A guest wears a sticker in support of Troy Davis during a press conference at Ebenezer Baptist Church on September 20, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Georgia Pardons Board denied clemency for death row inmate Troy Davis on Tuesday morning.
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Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

UNION SQUARE — Two men were arrested during a protest against the execution of Troy Davis, a man put to death for the murder of a police officer in Georgia despite problems with the case and a strong public perception that he was innocent.

Joseph Jordan, 29, and Brandon King, 27, were arraigned Friday on charges of obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct stemming from a protest march that began in Union Square and ended on Wall Street Thursday night.

They allegedly refused to get out of the street when police told the crowd to move to the sidewalk because they were blocking Houston Street, according to the criminal complaint.

After refusing to comply with that order, they allegedly would not allow cops to handcuff them at Liberty Street and Broadway at about 7:50 p.m., the complaint says.

Both were released without bail at their arraignment late Friday afternoon.

A lawyer for King, Robert Boyle, said the arrests and demands by the officers were "an effort by police to quell a lawful protests."

Boyle said the march was tied to the "occupation" of Wall Street movement, where there have been several demonstrator arrests. There were additional arrests connected to the Davis protest, he said.

Lawyers for both men say their clients deny the charges.

A video on YouTube shows protesters marching through the Union Square area chanting "We are all Troy Davis." Other clips from one video show the police trying to break up the rally that was moving through the streets and appeared to block traffic.

Davis, who was convicted of killing Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989, was executed on Sept. 21 after last-ditch appeal to the United State Supreme Court failed to stay the lethal injection.

Numerous elected officials from the city and public figures such former President Jimmy Carter, fought to stop the execution.