Posted on 08/20/2013 11:05:22 AM PDT by Da Bilge Troll
ST. CHARLES • The arrest Saturday afternoon of two anti-Barack Obama protesters on an Interstate 70 overpass is stirring controversy - fueled by a video of the incident circulating on the internet.
The two — Marc S. Messmer, 41, of St. Charles, and Jimmy D. "Duane" Weed, 57, of Bridgeton — say that their constitutional rights were violated.
"Citizens have a right to peaceably assemble," said Messmer, who was part of a series of overpass demonstrations around the country seeking the president's impeachment. "We were simply doing that. There were no laws broken."
Sgt. Al Nothum, a spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol, said the potential for a traffic hazard was why the two and 10 or so other protesters were told by officers to leave the Fairgrounds Road overpass about 2 p.m.
The two were arrested, he said, for failing to obey. Nothum said the patrol wants charges filed but prosecutors have yet to decide. The patrol also wants Messmer to be charged with resisting arrest.
Nothum said the traffic volume on I-70 was unusually heavy Saturday because of the many motorists heading to St. Charles' annual Festival of the Little Hills.
The patrol supervisor at the scene, Nothum said, "was concerned people are going to be distracted" by the protesters' banners and a serious crash could result.
"People are looking up when they should be looking forward," Nothum said of drivers.
Earlier Saturday, he said, there had been five accidents near the location; no one was seriously injured.
Nothum said the patrol doesn't believe the protesters intended to cause any traffic problems but that it could have become an unintentional "outcome of what they were doing."
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
In Houston, the liberal establishment dropped the charges when liberals would do this to protest Bush’s “wars”. They’ve been silent on the war issue for 5 years. Why is that?
There was an overpass protest this morning in Houston from one of the tea party groups. I thought I heard on the radio that arrests had been made for disrupting traffic although I couldn’t find an article online.
Let’s hope as many as possible are wearing Obama masks on their backsides. Or, better yet, a model bull with an Obama mask on its backside where its fecal orifice would otherwise be.
If the cops are so concerned about people looking at the road, should they start pulling over anyone using a cell phone while driving? IMO, looking up at an overpass is much saver than looking and concentrating on your cell phone while driving.
I hate to say this but, in the law community aren't cops at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to understanding the actual law. I can safely say that 99% of them didn't go to law school and only about half have a 4 year degree. So, how is it that they can make the call to arrest someone who is practicing their first amendment rights? I am shocked that the ACLU hasn't stepped up to the plate on this one.
How does someone resist arrest when there was no reason to arrest? By the MoSHP actions, a patrolman can stop in front of your house, arrest you, hold you for 24 hours, and give no reason, PERIOD.
Cops should stick to their assigned role:
Raising cash for the Welfare State from innocent citizens attempting to legally go about their day.
Ha!!
I'm with ya, FRiend!
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
If a group tried this on an overpass on 77 leading into Cleveland, their bodies would be found in an abandoned house in East Cleveland. Probably find some more women’s bodies too. Seems to be a regular occurrence there!
They do in California -- and it is a BIG fines.
Not to lof Der Führer is a bik dizgrace
zo Seig Heil! Seig Heil!
right in Der Führer’s face!
But a pro-Obama gathering like that would have been okay.
This time it will be different because the right people are in charge.
Different Germany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYNzI6LIyoU
Bring lots of video recording gear as well I would recommend.
I hope cooler heads and common sense prevail.
I don’t want to see things get out of hand.
Thanks for posting; this is the first I’ve heard about it.
Is everybody parking at the convention center?
I guess they need to take down every dam road sign along every mile of highway, as they can distract people, as well. What a lame excuse by this revenue raiser.
Raising cash for the Welfare State from innocent citizens attempting to legally go about their day.
That's the truth. The highway patrol love to send their rookies out on the weekends to ticket the local white middle class for minor bs violations to keep the coffers filled. Then the same citizens voted to add a county police force, in addition to the local, state and sheriffs forces. I can only shake my head.
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