FREEPORT, Ill. (AP) — The northern Illinois city of Freeport has dropped trespassing charges against the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

The Journal-Standard reports that the city dropped the charges against Jackson and 13 other protesters at the request of Sensata Technologies. The civil rights leader participated in a workers protest in October at the Sensata plant. The plant was in the process of moving its Freeport manufacturing operations to China, at a cost of 170 jobs from the Illinois plant.

The protesters were cited for violating Freeport's trespassing ordinance. Jackson and the other defendants originally requested a jury trial after pleading not guilty in November.

An attorney for Sensata wrote a letter to the city of Freeport earlier this month saying the company supported dropping the charges.