Acting on information obtained through illegal infiltration, police targeted specific activists for pre-emptive arrests. On August 1, police surrounded a puppet-making warehouse and arrested everyone inside, altogether over 70 activists who had been making signs and puppets for the demonstrations. During the actions, police didn't just arrest people engaging in civil disobedience. They also arrested and harassed bystanders, legal observers, medics, and people who looked like activists. Protesters faced what may be the highest bails in history for misdemeanor charges.
Protesters also face multiple charges.
Instead of the customary citation for blocking a highway, protesters are facing as many as nine charges apiece, including conspiracy charges. Many charges are obviously false, for example, people arrested in the puppet warehouse are charged with obstructing a highway. Several dozen protesters were singled out for felony charges, many for felony assault on police. Such charges can bring decades-long jail sentences. The vast majority of these charges, if not all of them, are trumped-up efforts by police to cover up their own violent acts towards protesters.