NJ: Legal group reviewing arrest of anti-war vigil organizer

[rainbow4321]

Ok, so even if he should have gotten a permit a week before, handcuffed and taken to police HQ seems a little extreme.

------------

Local leader of Democracy for America and founder of the Hunterdon for Democracy organization arrested at NJ peace vigil.


http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050820/NEWS01/508200386/1005/NEWS01

The American Civil Liberties Union is reviewing the arrest of a Branchburg man who organized a peace vigil this week on Main Street, but did not get a permit in advance to stage it. Bob Flisser, 43, was handcuffed and taken to police headquarters about an hour after the vigil began Wednesday.

He said he went to police headquarters at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to give them a "heads up" that he was organizing a peace vigil on the sidewalk in front of the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse, on Main Street.

Both Becker and Flisser said that police told Flisser before the vigil that he would be cited, under borough ordinance, if he had no permit for the event. Becker said the ordinance requires organizers to obtain a permit at least six days before an event.

The vigil was meant to be one of more than 1,000 held simultaneously nationwide by protesters of the war in Iraq and supporters of Cindy Sheehan, a Californian whose son Casey died in Iraq. Sheehan had camped outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas and wanted to speak with Bush. Sheehan returned Thursday to California after her mother had a stroke.

[madeline_con]

1. Do you have any info....

on how many pro-war demonstrators without permits have gotten the same treatment?

[wli]

2. and the country rolls over as free assembly is violated n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

3. That's the courthouse where the Lindbergh kidnapping trial took place.