Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Columbia South Carolina Police: Dangerous Political Discrimination Amid Coronavirus Crackdown. Peaceful pro-life protesters cited, ordered to disperse and threatened with arrest following lawful demonstration …
FitsNews ^ | April 7, 2020 | FitsNews

Posted on 04/08/2020 3:03:06 PM PDT by Morgana

Hours before South Carolina governor Henry McMaster’s statewide “stay-at-home” order took effect on Tuesday afternoon, a Columbia, S.C. man was cited by city police for protesting an abortion clinic. The man received the citation even though McMaster’s order – aimed at combatting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic – was not in effect at the time.

And in an interesting plot twist, the abortion clinic he was protesting remained open for business – i.e. performing abortions – at the time he was cited despite a statewide order deferring all non-elective medical procedures.

Further, the man – Midlands pro-life activist Mark Baumgartner – was ordered to disperse even though Columbia officials acknowledged less than two weeks ago that the city would “recognize the fundamental constitutional liberties afforded to our citizens” in enforcing its previously adopted stay-at-home order.

That order, incidentally, was already on questionable legal footing following an opinion released last month by the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson related to law enforcement authority during the current coronavirus-related state of emergency. In that opinion, Wilson’s office explicitly warned law enforcement not to abuse its emergency authority to target religious or political gatherings.

“The (emergency authority) statute was intended to keep the peace not keep citizens from exercising their constitutional rights,” the opinion (.pdf), drafted by solicitor general Bob Cook, warned. “It should be read and applied by (law enforcement) officers with that in mind. In short: In case of conflict between the statute and fundamental constitutional liberties, those liberties must prevail.”

Baumgartner, a member of First Presbyterian Church of downtown Columbia, was cited and ordered to disperse as he and his supporters were protesting outside a Planned Parenthood on Tuesday.

Baumgartner is the leader of the pro-life organization, A Moment Of Hope.

(Excerpt) Read more at fitsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Local News
KEYWORDS: abortion; prolife; southcarolina

1 posted on 04/08/2020 3:03:06 PM PDT by Morgana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: upchuck

South Carolina Ping


2 posted on 04/08/2020 3:03:25 PM PDT by Morgana ( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

democrats —— the people of death


3 posted on 04/08/2020 3:05:49 PM PDT by no-to-illegals ( Liberals, leftists, Rinos, moslems, illegals, lamestream media. All want America to fail and die)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana; 2A Patriot; 2nd amendment mama; 4everontheRight; 77Jimmy; A Strict Constructionist; ...
South Carolina Ping   

If you'd like to be on or off the South Carolina ping list, just click Private Reply below and drop me a FReepmail.

4 posted on 04/08/2020 3:17:12 PM PDT by upchuck (Democrats are always the problem, never the answer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson has given the greenlight for protestors to sue Columbia and its commie goons who violate their civil rights. He appeared on a local talk radio station this morning.

I’ve always encouraged patriots to elect a pro-2nd amendment, constitutional sheriff in their counties to ensure their civil rights. When fascist big city cops start acting like gestapo, there’s nothing like a heavily-armed Sheriff SWAT team to teach fat-belly, low-IQ big city cops about the limits of harassing citizens exercising their rights.


5 posted on 04/08/2020 3:37:20 PM PDT by sergeantdave (Teach a man to fish and he'll steal your gear and sell it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

When the elites could not control us in The Before, they changed the rules of the game. Now, they can lock us up just for gathering— the right of assembly is GONE! Church services are GONE! And people think the elites are going to just GIVE UP this power on April 30?


6 posted on 04/08/2020 6:07:25 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Politics is the continuation of war by other means. --Clausewitz)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

And the winner of the latest S.Carolina lottery is....

Mark Baumgartner

Johnny Pardo, what nice parting gifts do we have for the local
Gestapo-lary ???


7 posted on 04/08/2020 8:52:15 PM PDT by Oscar in Batangas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

In our country, right now, governors and mayors are threatening to put preachers in jail for conducting services and at the same time defending keeping abortion clinics open and putting abortion protesters in jail.


8 posted on 04/09/2020 5:06:18 AM PDT by suthener
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson