A crowd of about 75 to 80 people are outside Gadsden’s Municipal Court annex in East Gadsden staging a protest.

The protest began about 11 a.m. Organizers say they are here to protest courtroom rules and the conduct of Municipal Judge Tom King.

Jennifer Nash of Gadsden said she came because she “wanted to see change.” She claims King levies excessive fines and fees and does not fairly dispense justice.

“He’ll fine you after you’ve paid your fine, and charge you for things you didn’t do,” Nash said. “Then you get locked up and you’ve got to start all over again paying fines. I really do feel it’s not right.”

The crowd chanted “Lock him up!” and Bishop A.L. Dowdell Sr. of Auburn led them in chants of “No justice! No peace!” and “King must go!”

“If the City Council won’t remove him, we’ll remove the City Council and the mayor!” he shouted into a bullhorn.

Last year, Gadsden’s Municipal Court judge and prosecutor were sued in February by The Ordinary People Society, an Alabama-based group, regarding what the group calls a “fine or time” or “pay or stay” policy. That lawsuit states that non-indigent people who pay their fines avoid jail time while poor people who can’t afford it serve time in jail.