Incident at Loews for the Fahrenheit 9/11 Showing

[IndianaGreen]

The following is the account from a fellow activist and what she experienced when she tried to pass out pamphlets after the showing of Michael Moore's Farenheit 911 at the Loews in Indianapolis. The names of the innocent have been redacted by yours truly.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar to this?

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 9:29 PM
Subject: Incident at Loews for the F9/11 Showing

Well, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a GREAT documentary about Bush, the lies. the oil, the connections between the Bush and bin Laden families, the war, the erosion of our civil liberties ... and since I'm having an F9/11 Burning Bush House Party (complete with a conference call from Michael Moore on Monday evening), I took flyers to Loew's Cinema that tell folks who have seen the film "Five Things You Can Do to Keep the Heat Up." Of course, one thing that's mentioned right up at the top is to register to vote ... and one of the others is to attend one of the F9/11 house parties on Monday evening.

As I exited the theater after the 4:15 showing, so many people were asking me for the flyers that I really didn't have to thrust them onto anyone. But the young managers at Loews -- who obviously haven't seen Michael Moore's film or are just fascists or both -- called the Marion County Sheriff's office to send a couple of officers to either escort me off the premises or throw me in jail.

A group of us were standing outside the theater talking (like people DO when they've bought tickets to see a film and are waiting for friends or have run into friends as they crossed paths). When I argued my points about freedom of speech and noted that I wasn't "soliciting," the theater manager then looked at the crowd close to me and demanded to know if they were planning to see the movie. Several had just seen it and more were waiting for the next show.

The Loews punk then told Carl RM and a few others that they HAD to go in "right now" IF they planned to see the movie ... no lingering talking to friends, even though the movie had nearly 30 minutes to start. Those in the group maintained their ground and I was told to either leave, have the sheriff's officers arrest me, or buy another ticket and GO INSIDE RIGHT THEN. With *just* that emphasis. Meanwhile, two sheriff's officers were at my back. Not wanting to be the cause of anyone getting booted off the premises before they could see the film -- and having planned a dinner at a restaurant next door to the theater -- Lois S. and I walked to the outer edge of the parking lot and continued handing out flyers. If plans involving others hadn't been in the works, I would have pushed the young nazi to see if he would have had me arrested.

Interestingly, another fellow had been registering people to vote on the outside of the theater when I arrived earlier and Loews threatened to have HIM arrested. He battled with them for a bit, then gave up, but said he was going to see an attorney about it.

All I could think was how fearful of democracy this film has made the neocons -- and the plain old rabid right-wingers. If Michael Moore's movie can cause this much fear among the Right, then we'd better see it as many times as possible -- and send as many others to see it -- before it's canned! I plan on going to see it again tomorrow at the Regal in Carmel ... just to see what type of reaction the Hamilton County crowd gives it. Maybe it will so infuriate me that I'll have to go back to Loews with my flyers. And I will speak with Ken Falk at the ICLU about the incident. (Ken Falk is the head of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. IG)

As an aside, the newscaster from Fox 59 told me that she plans to come to my house party on Monday evening with her film crew (but will call me in the afternoon). Their spin on the house party will most likely be as uneventful and inaccurate as was Channel 6's coverage of the event at Loews -- typical of what we've come to expect from the mainstream press as we continue to get Bushwhacked.

In Continuing Shock and Awe ;-) Cate

[kerryin2004]

1. You were(activist) on private property

and you were causing a crowd to gather.. I would have done the same thing if I was the manager, and I love Fahrenheit 9-11.. Just because your paranoid doesnt mean we aint out to get ya

[Racenut20]

2. Voter Registration

I have found many private businesses that do not allow me to register voters on their grounds when I ask. I ALWAYS ask first, and avoid the problem. There are plenty of places where I can and do.

[kerryin2004]

10. That is their right...

You could be fundraising for starving ethiopian children and it doesnt change the fact that they are in the right.. It is their private property and they probably have an established rule against it..

[BeachBuckeye]

3. First hand report

On my program yesterday the former president of the Collier County Democratic Club in Florida (Whom I know rather well) called me and told me they were handing out voter registration forms in front of the theater showing the film in Naples, Florida. I probably don't have to tell you that Collier County Florida is heavy duty Repub territory with not a single Democrat holding office there for many a year now. Sheriff deputies showed up and started yelling at those passing out the forms that they would "be arrested" if they didn't cease and desist "immediately". The Sheriff's in this area of Florida are well known for these Gestapo like tactics. The Lee County deputies threatened to arrest demonstrators at a recent visit by Cheney. This after the Secret Service had OKed the demonstrators presence and location. They even put one of the marchers (approximately 75 years old) in back of a cruiser but later let him go without arrest. It was, however, a chilling reminder of what the modern day Republican Party is all about.

[ShaneGR]

4. Fantastic, harass the theatre who agreed to show it to you....

It's private property. Not all their viewers were going to see F-911. If they said no fliers, then no fliers.

Instead, it's about Loews punks and all that.

[MsUnderstood]

6. I'm gonna agree with SGR2 here

I would think a manager at a theater has a responsibility NOT to allow groups to gather or hand out any flyers.

It isn't about the message you are spreading it is about the fairness of it. If he allows you, he will have to allow others to pass out their propoganda (good or evil).

He was probably "over reacting" to prevent a larger crowd, an opposite crowd, or any attention to the theater--he was doing his job.

[Robb]

8. I agree

I'm assuming it's a policy matter, handled with less tact than we would like. I know I don't want stuff handed to me at a theater -- even if I agree with it. It opens the door to the messengers I consider "evil" to start in.

[Carl Brennan]

5. Wasn't Loew's just bought by Carlyle Group? CG is

not treated very well in Farhenheit 9/11.

Looks like we have "new Loews" in the theater industry.

[skooooo]

7. Do you really think...

...that has the slightest thing to do with what happened here? I don't.

[Eurobabe]

9. Carlyle Group is acquiring LOEWS!

From HOOVERS 6/22:

"Carlyle also was part of yesterday's $2 billion purchase of the U.S. and Mexican assets of movie theater chain Loews Cineplex. Bain Capital LLC and Spectrum Equity Investors were partners in that buyout."

[IndianaGreen]

11. Carlyle Group = Frank Carlucci

Carlucci prevented the US-version of the film "Lumumba" from identifying him by name as the CIA operative responsible for the assassination of the first Prime Minister after independence of the Belgian Congo, currently Zaire.