Public dissent within active-duty ranks remains rare due to regulations under Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
This article criminalizes contemptuous speech against top government leaders and bans uniforms at political rallies.
Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal Coalition, said Watson initiated contact via email and fully understood the severe professional and legal risks.
"We started having conversations and took this desire that he had to come out very seriously and thought about the best way to make his sacrifice worth it," Denson said.
Representative Al Green expressed immediate support for the officer following the demonstration.
"I just left the Capitol grounds, and I was there to witness a major in the United States military bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice," Green said.
He added that Watson stood firmly for impeachment before being removed by authorities.
A District of Columbia superior court official told CNN on Thursday that Watson is being released and the D.
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C. attorney general will not file a formal case against him.
