As a Tea Party activist, I am aware of many cases where officials become very insistent that citizens have all their paperwork in order before exercising the right to peacefully assemble.
And, like the I.R.S. review of tax exemption applications, the same set of stringent rules do not apply to progressive organizations.
Tammy Bruce reports on the most recent example of differential application of regulations:
…Islamists are planning a so-called ‘Million Muslim March’ in DC on the anniversary of 9/11 which is now fast approaching. In response, bikers called for a 2 Million Biker ride through the capitol. The response has been amazing, but last week we found that while the Islamists got a permit the biker were refused by DC…
Happily, the bikers are planning to go around this particular roadblock. The Sons of Liberty Riders report:
Washington DC has DENIED our permit for a no-stop ride through Washington DC. We find this regretful for the residents and businesses of that great city, and humbly offer our apologies. What could have been a one or two hour ride through will now likely be an all day event. We will be obeying all laws. We will be stopping at all stoplights, stop signs, and yielding to all pedestrians.
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF WASHINGTON DC: On behalf of the National “2 Million Bikers to DC” Team, please accept our sincere apologies. We did the right thing and went through the proper channels to secure a no-stop permit to ride through your great city. We wanted to ride an established route, which would have taken us past the Viet Nam Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial, across the bridge into Virginia, and that’s it! We would have been completely out of Washington DC, and your city would have been back to normal.
Another recent example of permit-mania involved a citizen-organized protest against Syria at the end of August, which was handled when the members “stood their ground”, constitutionally speaking. The Spartanburg Tea Party reports:
…[A] group of folks gathered on a corner by the Westgate Mall to protest Obama’s stated plan to strike Syria, to do so without Congressional input/approval, and in general against this war effort itself.
…Those gathered were standing on their Constitutional right of assembly on public property, asking the officer what law they broke. In the end they were allowed to continue with their protest
Here’s a helpful hint to our progressive friends: In addition to “Freedom of Religion” and “Freedom of Speech”, there is a First Amendment right called “Freedom of Assembly“. It applies to conservatives, too.
I am looking forward to reporting on the successful biker rally.
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Comments
You know, I usually don’t want to recommend this, but feel free to drop your mufflers off before you ride through town.
I think we all really want them to hear you!
Maybe instead of “sensitivity programs” that law enforcement officers are forced to go through, they should be forced to go through “U.S. Constitution programs”:)
Well gosh, all should know 9/11 is a islammie celebration date..
Make your voices, and your MOTORS heard!
Let these plutocrats know who’s got the RIGHT to peaceably assemble and redress their government for GRIEVANCES!!!!
I drove through Sturgis, SD the summer I moved to the midwest. DC is in for a real treat today. ;^)
Personally I am happy to let idiots parade around in dumb outfits with signs, even at the most highly travelled intersection in town. The Officer was very polite. The protestors were loud and disrespectful, unfortunately. The Officer was concerned with the protester’s safety and the safety of those driving near their protest site. Seems the biggest safety issue for the Officer was the one protester that was standing in the intersection on red lights.
Protest Permit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest_permit
A protest permit or parade permit is permission granted by a governmental agency for a demonstration to be held in a particular venue at a particular time. Failing to obtain a permit may lead to charges of parading without a permit. The requirement of a permit is sometimes denounced as an infringement of free speech,[1] as permits are denied on spurious grounds or protestors are corralled into free speech zones. Permits are sometimes denied on grounds that the protest will create a security risk.[2] There seems to be evidence that the available venues for protests are shrinking in number; that citizens have experienced increasing difficulty in gaining unrestricted access to them; and that such venues are no longer where most people typically congregate in large numbers.[3] In Washington, DC, the National Park Service Police, U.S. Capitol Police, and Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia have an elaborate permitting system.[4] Many famous people like Martin Luther King, Jr. have been arrested for protesting without a permit.
People have the right to peaceably assemble. Permit not required. Public safety doesn’t give the government a right to infringe on the very rights granted by that self same constitution duly ordained to protect the public safety.
As to the Capitol permit system. It is unconstitutional. As to your forth point, just because many famous people have been arrested for protesting without a permit, doesn’t make it constitutional, legal or morally correct.
It is time to take back our Rights by exercising them in the most public manner, and FORCE the government to act within it’s constitutional limits and role.
My comments are at the top of my post. What followed that paragraph is copied and pasted directly from Wikipedia with a link that you can open; it is just some basic information about the law, but it is not “my points.”
You come across as really frustrated. So hey, take action and do what you want to do, go take back you rights from the government! Have at it! Please post a video for us when you are finished. The strange protesters would refer you to Ben Swann for some inspiration, so check out his YouTube videos today before you head out to the street.
A million Muslims and 2 million patriot bikers in town on the same day? This should be entertaining… and short.
As much as I hate to say it, Driveby is correct, and those Tea Party protesters are wrong.
First, the police officer (even if wrong) was not intimidating and threatening anyone. He was being polite, and the protester was trying to pick a fight he could put on YouTube. He was doing what we always chastise the Occupy-type lefties of doing.
Yes there is a right to assembly. That does not mean you are allowed to assemble anyone you want anywhere you want; even if it is public property. For example, the center of the intersection is also ‘public property’, do you really think you could have 50 folks standing in the intersection with signs as your constitutional right?
If a govt agency is selectively giving permits, or drastically limiting who or where you can protest….that is a different issue. (IOW ‘free speech zones’) But it is completely within the legal rights of local govts to put some restrictions (including a permit process) in place regarding assembly.
OTOH, they usually only do so for groups above a certain size. So those protesters may not have needed a permit anyway.
As a illustration… the ‘singers’ in Wisconsin are using the same “I can protest anywhere’ assertion for disrupting the capital without a permit.
Doesn’t work for them either….