THE HILL: Police half-baked in Kerry protest? (DC Chapter anti-Kerry Bake Sale)

The Hill ^ | April 22, 2004 | Albert Eisele and Jeff Dufour

[tgslTakoma]

Police told a group of conservatives affiliated with FreeRepublic.com to cease a mock bake sale they held in front of John Kerry’s D.C. campaign headquarters last weekend.

The small, pro-Bush rally was held to counter MoveOn.org’s “Bake Back the White House” bake sale last weekend, which the liberal organization claims brought in $250,000 from 1,000 bake sales around the country. The proceeds will help fund anti-Bush ads.

Kristinn Taylor, who helped organize the FreeRepublic gathering, said since the law prohibits a group like MoveOn from “co-ordinating” with the Kerry effort, it couldn’t hold a bake sale in front of headquarters. So FreeRepublic decided to go there to needle the Kerry campaign.

Not long after members of the group set up on the sidewalk, said Taylor, the Kerry people came out to try to get them to leave. “They hid behind building security,” he said, “but every time security came out, the Kerry people were right behind them.”

After a few minutes of back and forth, he said, one of the campaign workers said they’d call the police.

The Kerry campaign denies that. “It wasn’t us,” said a campaign worker familiar with the situation. “Police came, but not on our urging.”

After police arrived some time later, there was some confusion as to why the group had to be moved. The people couldn’t be ticketed for an improper protest, as they were under the 25-person threshold, said Taylor, nor were they selling anything.

The cops finally settled on a charge of “occupying a public space without a permit” due to the protesters’ two card tables. Despite the protesters’ request, cops refused to issue a $50 ticket.

“The Kerry people were outside monitoring it the entire time,” Taylor said.

D.C. Police did not return a call seeking comment.

[tgslTakoma]

PING!!

[ladyinred]

The Kerry campaign denies that. “It wasn’t us,” said a campaign worker familiar with the situation. “Police came, but not on our urging.”

It seems we have a pattern here doesn't it? Hillary and Kerry don't allow people who disagree with them to have rights.. Welcome to socialist America.

[GeronL]

Judge Dredd as a Freeper: "We ARE the news!"

[tgslTakoma]

Our report on the FReep and photos of bake sale items is here.

Kerry's peeps are not too tolerant, that's for sure!

:-)

[tgslTakoma]

Ping!

[GeronL]

BUMP

[ForGod'sSake]

The cops finally settled on a charge of “occupying a public space without a permit”...

Pretty creative. I don't suppose there's some sort of city ordinance the police could cite denying access by the public to "public" places??? But what the hey; it is DC.

FGS

[NonValueAdded]

In thinking about the incident and my tagline, perhaps the next time you could have a tape recording handy to show that you were invited by the candidate himself. After all, he did say "Bring it on!"

[kristinn]

What's funny is the small numbers of protesters it takes for them to get bent out of shape. Lord help us if we ever turn out in the numbers of the left.

[kristinn]

I haven't looked into the specific charge, but I'm sure it's on the books somewhere. The Kerry people put the police in a bad spot. They had to respond to the call and had to take some kind of action.

[kristinn]

That's a very good point. I think we'll use that next time, if not on tape then on a sign.

[P-Marlowe]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

How many of these rights were violated by the people working for the US Senator from MA and the Police Department of the one city in America that is directly under the control of Congress?

[P-Marlowe]

The cops finally settled on a charge of “occupying a public space without a permit”...

the next time the freepers hold a protest in front of the Kerry HQ they should just dress up as homeless people and and go to sleep on the sidewalk. Lets see if the DC police do something about that?

[kristinn]

Free speech rights are for Harold Ickes' and George Soros' 527s. Not us little people.

[mcmuffin]

FReep complete!

Great work, DC Chapter!!

FloRida FReeper FRegards!

[JLO]

Thanks for posting the link to the pics - what a hoot!

[Guy_on_the_Course]

Eins, zwei, drei, vier! March away, you who oppose the New Kerry Order!

[Palladin]

BUMP