Supporters of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, the subjects of Netflix’s “Making a Murderer,” protested near the Manitowoc County Courthouse on Friday.
Hundreds were expected to participate in the rally, and although the group didn’t quite hit that quota, protest organizer Megan McGuinness told TheWrap it was a “perfect” protest.
“Everything went according to plan and nothing got out of control, no one got arrested,” said McGuinness. “It was probably the best protest I’ve ever seen in my 29 years of living.”
She said that a little more than 100 people attended the rally that took place near the courthouse and then moved to the Sheriff’s Office. Supporters traveled from as far as Texas, Florida and Oregon. The event was live streamed on Periscope drawing hundreds of people online, some from out of the country like Belgium.
“That’s been the most incredible thing so far, people all over the world have supported us,” added McGuinness.
“Making a Murderer” follows Avery and Dassey who were convicted of the murder of Wisconsin photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. Avery, who was exonerated of a rape conviction after serving 18 years in prison, still maintains his innocence today, as does Dassey.
On the Periscope stream, people could be heard chanting, “Give these men their life back, how many years do you need to take from them?” and “We all live on Avery Road.”
One man referenced the key to Halbach’s car that was found in Avery’s trailer seven days after the initial police search. The key has been a crucial part of evidence in the case although many believe it was planted by the Manitowoc County Police Department.
“If you lost your keys, don’t call the Manitowoc Sheriff’s Department because it takes seven days to find it although it’s hiding in plain sight.”
Sheriff Robert Hermann told TheWrap the event remained peaceful.
“It was a lot smaller than what was planned and what was believed to be,” he said. “As far as I know, nothing got out of hand. It was a peaceful protest for the most part.”
The protestors are still on the move, although they’ve moved away from the courthouse. They are now heading to the Avery Salvage Yard, where Teresa Halbach’s car was found, to take pictures and support the business that “has taken a hit since the documentary,” according to McGuinness. She hopes to plan a GoFundMe page to raise money for the salvage yard.
When asked how Avery and Dassey were doing, McGuinness said that “they are hanging in there” and are awaiting a Feb. 11 court date, when a Wisconsin judge will hear Avery’s motion for appeal.