Crying ‘free speech’, armed Obama protester’s arrest at Alaska State Fair sparks outrage

[kpete]

Run time: 09:43 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppBZM88mHvQ   Posted on YouTube: August 27, 2010 By YouTube Member: brianstanfill Views on YouTube: 388   Posted on DU: August 28, 2010 By DU Member: kpete Views on DU: 3469

 
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/0828/crying-free-speech-armed-obama-protesters-arrest-alaska-state-fair-strikes-outrage/

[Drunken Irishman]

1. True story...

I was at an anti-war protest back in 2002 (maybe early 2003) and signed a petition against the Iraq War. I didn't know it was a LaRouche petition and for SIX years, I received weekly calls from them asking me to attend their home events. I told them over and over and over and over and over again to stop calling - but they never did.

I don't know what happened to finally get them to stop, but thank god they did. Yikes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Other than being obnoxious (which is not illegal) what did he do wrong?

This guy is an asshole. But being an asshole is not illegal either.

This is wrong. He was right. We all have free speech rights. He should not have been arrested.

[Tx4obama]

3. Protests normally require a permit. He was disturbing the peace. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. The 1st amendment does not say anything about a permit

I can maybe see the yelling being interpreted as disturbing the peace. But it's a stretch.

On edit - didn't realize it was private property. Our state fairs are not held on private property.

[Pharaoh]

11. He was..........

a little out there.............

[teknomanzer]

22. Bullshit.

He was NOT disturbing the peace. The violation of his rights caused more of a disturbance than just leaving him be.

[One of Many]

4. It is private property

Apparently the fair is held on private property and he was carrying a loaded firearm. Don't know how he got in with the sign, but once he started the protest security asked him to leave, he didin't apparenly thinking it was public property.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Where did you get that info?

Is there a link I missed?

[northofdenali]

33. Carrying a loaded ffirearm is legal here.

[One of Many]

5. More details

Court record of arrest: http://bit.ly/bPSx6D
ADN coverage: http://bit.ly/bwE3u9
Frontiersman coverage: http://bit.ly/9V4gyn
Newsminer coverage: http://bit.ly/bEEq2K
Alaska State Fair official statement: http://bit.ly/cY5U2u

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Thanks for the links

I didn't realize it was private property.

But I still think the security guys over reacted.

[TheEuclideanOne]

10. Agreed

My guess is that they improperly arrested this guy. I didn't see the whole thing, but he might have been disturbing the peace since he did seem to be screaming his beliefs really loud. Maybe it could have been because he was being arrested. All in all, this is a free country and people have the right to walk around with signs if they do not agree with the government, regardless of whether they agree with me or not. Even if they are obnoxious about it and act like an asshole, this is still within their right.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. But not on private property

I posted my comments before I learned the state fair was being held on private property.

[TheEuclideanOne]

13. Funny, same thing here :)

After reading that it was private property, it changes everything, eh?

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Yep

That's just bizarre. I have never heard of a state fair being held on private property.

[TheEuclideanOne]

18. This does bring up another point though....

Look at just at how crazy and riled up this guy is. There may have been a legitimate chance that they fair would have let this guy protest if his sign was smaller and he was not so psycho. He was pretty out there, though and I could not think of a rational conversation being had with this guy. This shows just how riled up the Becks and Limbaughs have gotten people to. They have people seething at the mouth fearing that their freedom of speech is taken away from them and that the world is going to come to an end. The think that Obama is a Socialist, Facist, Marxist, Racist Muslim that is going to destroy the world unless they buy gold from their sponsor. Look at just how riled up crazy their followers are. Scary, eh?

[roxiejules]

19. An unwritten policy??

Fair marketing director Dean Phipps says the fair has an unwritten policy against people campaigning in common areas of the fairgrounds.

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/152921#ixzz0xwceYOaK


Apparently the State Fair is a private non profit corporation:

https://myalaska.state.ak.us/business/soskb/Corp.asp?238422

[EC]

9. I heard a woman's voice telling the officers that he hadn't

paid to get in...

[CLANG]

14. Another racists hiding behind a Hitler sign and "free speech".

Free speech doesn't apply to private property.

[Supply Side Jesus]

15. yes...the outrage...

Those guys went easy on him. That looney tune wrapped his legs around the security guard's left leg in attempt to trip him and cause injury. That's the assault. Would have been a shame to trip and drive his face into the ground.

[wial]

16. Isn't the irony the fair was on private property

which should make a LaRouche supporter happy? Don't they want the freedom to no longer be free by destroying all public goods?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I've never taken the trouble to learn the nooks and crannies of that particular nutjob ideology.

[lib2DaBone]

20. I am usually the first person to rally against police brutality...

... but if this guy had a loaded weapon in his pocket and he is screaming his political beliefs at a non-political event... I think he is out of control.

So what do we do when this guy pulls out his Glock and starts shooting at random.. takes out 6 or 10 innocent people? Then the hand wringing and second guessing begins. Why didn't Security do this.. why didn't the Fair Association do that.. where where the cops.. yada yada yada.

The guy is another Glenn Beck/Faux News Nut case. Having a loaded weapon at a State Fair and a picture of Obama as Hitler is just a tad over the top... (IMHO)

[wtmusic]

21. IMO he legitimately believed he was on public property

Couldn't tell if security explained that to him or not, but they should have. They might have had a non-event.

[MrModerate]

26. FWIW, I'm pretty sure they said that it was private property several times . . .

Near the beginning of the segment.

[Anakin Skywalker]

23. Free Speech Is For Intellectuals!* You Know, The Kind That You Rightwingers Hate?

This teabagging redneck has been listening to too much rightwing hate radio. All one could hear was him yelling "No!" a bunch of time in a very angry tone.

By the way, silly teabaggers, LaRoachers whatever, putting a Hitler moustache on Obama does NOT make it true, you know.

* Yes. It's a hyperbole, fair-minded DUers. Just remember though, the other side doesn't care if you don't have free speech. :)

[Hulk]

24. This is the type of obnoxious butt hole that spoils it for everyone...

I'm sorry. I'm all for free speech. But I'm also for not disturbing the peace and there seems to be a time and a place for this shit. He could attend one of the teabagger rallies, and fit right in. He was a loud mouth, obnoxious ass hole who wanted to make trouble.

In watching the first part of the video, I wondered just how long it was going to take for the security guard to lose his composure with this jerk off, and drag him down to the dirt. The fool could have shown some respect...could have kept his voice down and discussed the incident..but instead acts like a total ass wipe and starts shouting the Bill of Rights and gets the whole crowd into his little fairy tale.

No pity for this guy. I show the police respect, whether or not I believe I've done something wrong. They have an ugly enough job, dealing with the unknown and the low lifes...they don't need a pile on from me or anyone else.

The idiot got what he deserved. In fact, I think they showed some pretty good restraint. I wouldn't want their job.

And the previous posts have it right....we'd all be second guessing the security if this nut cake had pulled out his glock and started popping off innocent people. He was an obvious disturbance with NO respect for anyone but his stinking "first amendment right". I'm tired of this bull shit.

[CLANG]

25. +1000000

[MrModerate]

27. Frankly, I didn't know he was carrying a firearm . . .

I thought he was dangerous enough just with that 2 x 4 his sign was attached to.

[Swagman]

28. don't like the guy and don't like the security guards but it's a fair point

to say people should rent a stall. Or perhaps he should be outside the fair entrance and demonstrate there. But having a gun sounds scary..who needs a gun at a State Fair ?
:shrug:

[blackbart99]

29. Actually this might be a new case for the Supremes...

A clearly public event on private property....Which domain has precedence? Public or private?
I am not a legal scholar so I'm asking the question. It's a public event.....?
I'm absolutely sure they didn't need to throw their considerable bulk on top the man to subdue him.
Why did the organizers let him in with a huge sign, that thing was 8ft long and 2.5 tall. Even that
might be a question for the courts.

In my opinion private security should not have the right to physically abuse anyone. They should call police for back up but not do the arrest themselves. If they are being assaulted then they can protect themselves but not act as if they are the police.

:hippie:

[freedom fighter jh]

32. Agree.

If they have to use force to stop him from leaving with stolen goods or from being violent, then they have to use force. Otherwise, there is no justification. Imagine someone in your home said something offensive (or maybe whipped out a pic of Obama with a Hitler mustache). You might tell them to put it away and shut up, and if that didn't work, you might tell them to leave your house. But if they refused to leave, would you be justified in grabbing them by the wrist, wrestling them to the ground, and pinning them down? No, you'd have to call the police and wait for them to come.

This event, a state fair, was public in its nature even if it took part on private property. Just as a court found that a man at a shopping mall (private property) could not be thrown out for wearing an anti-war shirt (because even a privately owned shopping mall serves a public function), the man's right to expression goes farther at this fair than it would in someone's living room, and even in someone's living room the way to get him out would be to call the police, not to pin him to the ground.

[X_Digger]

34. As an aside..

.. only two states (CA & NJ) have applied state analogues of the first amendment to the public areas of malls. Other states? Not so much. (Some have conflicting cases, or cases in the 80's that allowed it, followed by more recent cases that came down on the side of property owners.)

[freedom fighter jh]

35. Looks like you know more about this than I do.

I have but a vague recollection of the case I was referring to above. It was in New York State -- in Colonie, I think -- in the early years of the Iraq war. I thought the court's decision was based on the US Constitution, not NYS's, but I could be wrong about that.

[X_Digger]

36. Could be, but I know those two states are very clear..

.. whereas in other states, it's a mixed bag.

I hope more states follow suit, since more and more 'planned communities' revolve around retail spaces that would otherwise have served as the 'public commons' in days past.

[Enthusiast]

30. Imagine an anti-war,

anti-Bush protester in the same location but in 2003. I bet the protester would have been removed in less than half the time.

[Joanne98]

31. Old men in their 70's still fighting hippies!

I'M STUCK IN THE 60'S AND I CAN'T GET UP!