Mugshot of Martin Luther King Jr following his 1963 arrest in Birmingham, Alabama.

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King was arrested for protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham and their racial segregation and economic injustice. Black people occupied public spaces with marches and sit-ins, openly violating laws that they considered unjust.

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During the protests, the Birmingham Police Department, led by Eugene "Bull" Connor, used high pressure water jets and police dogs against protesters, including children. Footage of the police response was broadcast on national television news and dominated the nation's attention, shocking many white Americans and consolidating black Americans behind the movement.

Source: wikipedia.org