Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Protesting effectively illegal

CNN reports that Cindy Sheehan has been arrested for unlawful conduct, a misdemeanor charge that potentially carries a one year prison term. Her offense? Refusing to cover up a t-shirt with an anti-war slogan when requested by the U.S. Capitol Police.

Just think about that. Even if you disagree with politics or position, on what grounds can you possibly justify this? I guess Bush thinks he can just rule by decree, like his predecessor.

You're next.

Update: The U.S. Capitol Police is in fact the only federal law enforcement agency that reports to Congress instead of the Executive branch, so I guess the GOP and it's policy of stifling any dissent is more directly to blame than Bush.

Also, CNN is now reporting that her t-shirt read "2,245 Dead. How many more?". Last night the content of the t-shirt hadn't been reported yet, and there was a correction that said it was originally reported she unfurled an anti-war banner (apparently not true).

Sheehan was released after four hours; I wonder if the charges will be dropped. I doubt they are stupid enough to make a martyr out of her. Wait, what am I saying? It could happen.

Update: Cindy Sheehan's version of how and why she was arrested.

I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.

The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."

Last update (I hope): FOX News actually has decent coverage of Sheehan's arrest, and the expulsion of a Congressman's wife:

Beverly Young, wife of Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Florida — chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee — was removed from the gallery because she was wearing a T-shirt that read, "Support the Troops — Defending Our Freedom."

She was sitting about six rows from first lady Laura Bush and asked to leave. She argued with police in the hallway outside the House chamber.

"They said I was protesting," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "I said, "Read my shirt, it is not a protest.' They said, 'We consider that a protest.' I said, 'Then you are an idiot."'

They told her she was being treated the same as Sheehan, a protester ejected before the speech Tuesday night for wearing a T-shirt with an antiwar slogan. Sheehan wrote in her blog Wednesday that she intends to file a First Amendment lawsuit.

Sounds like a Cover-Your-Ass manuvuer for the U.S. Capitol Police, which probably realized they screwed up mightily by tossing Sheehan, and needed to show she wasn't being singled out.

Note in the CNN photo of Sheehan being hauled out that you cannot see her t-shirt because she has her jacket on; she only had it half-off before being pounced upon.

Final update (for sure now):Capitol Police say they goofed on arresting both Sheehan and Young. Charges against Sheehan were dropped; Sheehan might sue anyway. They apologized to Young.

Also, now that I've seen a TV interview with Sheehan, you can see her t-shirt. It's just that it's black and her jacket is also dark, and she has her arm across her chest. All I can make out is part of a white "2".

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