An angry, topless protester stood outside the Bill Cosby trial, with the words “Women’s Lives Matter” spread across her chest. The woman has been identified as Nicolle Rochelle, who was on The Cosby Show. Reports state she ran towards Cosby chanting at him but was dragged away before she could make physical contact with him. She was arrested and escorted in handcuffs. According to NJ.com, she was “charged with disorderly conduct and faces a fine of about $35 plus court costs, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office.” Bill Cosby is being tried for sexual harassment charges by Andrea Constand for allegedly molesting her after drugging her. The retrial is taking place after the previous jury was unable to make a decision as to whether or not Bill Cosby is guilty of these allegations. The situation worsened as many other women came out with similar accusations against the celebrity. However, Cosby has maintained his stance that they are all liars looking for attention. Currently, his attorneys are trying to get a juror removed from the jury for expressing to another juror that she believed he was guilty.
As a result of his retrial, women and men have grown angry and are demanding for sexual predators to face consequences for the pain they have caused and the crimes they’ve committed. Movements advocating for the awareness of sexual harassment have risen. The #Metoo Movement on its own has raised a lot of attention as celebrities and every-day people have revealed their stories. According to Times Magazine, Kristen Houser of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center said: “that could help prosecutors overcome the skepticism some jurors had last time about Constand’s yearlong wait to report her allegations to the police. The #MeToo movement is amplifying what experts have been saying for decades: People are ashamed, they’re confused, they can’t believe somebody they trust would hurt them, and then they worry that others won’t believe them.”