Free Speech Takes a Capitol Beating

[babylonsister]

Free Speech Takes a Capitol Beating
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2007-09-22 21:35. Nonviolent Resistance

By Mike Ferner

Washington – Free speech took a beating with another round of arrests September 18 in the nation’s capital. It was administered by the police at a rally sponsored by the most unlikely-sounding group to be involved in such a thing: Veterans for Freedom.

U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman, John McCain and Lindsey Graham were among the featured speakers at the rally held in Upper Senate Park on Capitol Hill. About 150 people attended the rally to support the group’s pro-war position, as did about 30 people who were not in support. Before the rally concluded, Leah Bolger, David Barrows, Christine Rainwater, Anne Kitridge, and Anne Katz were arrested by Capitol Police.

Barrows said he had gone to the park because he heard Lieberman was going to speak. When the Senator was talking, Barrows spoke out, “I don’t want your 'bomb and run genocide' in Iran.”

As soon as I did, a plainclothes policeman came up to me and said, “You’re under arrest,” the 60 year-old D.C. resident continued. But, Barrows said, instead of going with the officer immediately he moved another six feet closer to the stage, whereupon he was placed under arrest.

It wasn’t until he was taken to the Capitol Police station that Barrows discovered one of the charges against him was assault. “They told me I was being charged with assaulting a Gold Star mother at the rally. When I looked at their report, the accuser’s name and address had been blacked out but I recognized the photo of a well-groomed Asian-American woman I'd seen around Capitol Hill several times. Why in the world would I assault a Gold Star Mother? It makes no sense."

more...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/27058

[PDJane]

1. Can we call it a police state now?

If not, why not?

[Bennyboy]

2. Here is a thread and video of that....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=56294&mesg_id=56294

and the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCLuYvBeq40 I wish we had some video of the beginning of the arrest. Footage of what tehy were actually doing.

Something I don't understand. Whenever there is a right wing gathering they put all the protesters in a 'Zone". tell them to be quiet, not stand too close etc.

But whenever the left has a gathering, right wing dickwads are allowed to line the routes, shout and yell at us. especially last week when the Gold star father had his memorial to his son vandalized and then he was beaten by them. And there were no arrests.

[superkia]

3. At least all the candidates are standing up for the constitution!

Oh wait, thats Dennis Kucinich, the one that everyone calls unelectable. Where are all the candidates standing up for the peoples rights. No I didn't say the corporations rights, the peoples. We get what we pay for, continue to elect politicians that only care about money and we will continue the attack on our rights. We don't mean anything to those types of candidates. As they stay in power and help the wealthy and corporations, America continues in its downwards spiral and we the people are the ones paying.