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 ...
“This time it will be different because the right people are in charge.”
Isn’t that always the claim? And people still haven’t learned.
“Citizens have a right to peaceably assemble,” said Messmer...
Sorry, Marc, but you assume that the constitution means something; as the society exists these days, it’s become clear that the document is nothing more than an antique curiosity.
Maybe the few who were on the bridge will wind up in the Gulag, along with others who are not following the “party” manifesto.
Actually, there are 2 commuter lots on that side but you may have to climb a fence and up the hill. If you park on the other side near the Buffalo Wildwings (in the BassPro center lot), there are steps up to the bridge.
Hope you can make it! (I'm Scott).
But when OWS squats or antiwar types block 6 lane highways or destroy property in Cali it is fine and free speech protected by the law of Competing Harms (ie. if it helps save life it is ok to destroy property by a 60s precedent)
How many Code Pinkos and Veterans For Peace overpass banner wavers have been arrested over the years, or even ordered to leave?
By the logic the cops are using, billboards should be illegal since they potentially distract drivers from focusing on the road.
They are grasping at straws here.
Coolidge Corner in Brookline has circles painted in the middle of the intersection where Moonbats take their turn protesting American Imperialism. The other Moonbats have other designated protest spaces around it. This is one of the busiest intersections in Boston and this occurs on Saturday mornings as 44,000 make their way to Boston College football games.
To the left, exercising one’s first amendment rights as a conservative is tantamount to yelling “fire” in a crowded theater.
Sadly, it’s obvious that they want to see this country burn.
Of course. If signs are distracting, I know of millions that should be taken down. And what about 8 or 10 police cars with lights flashing?
Probably for reasons similar to what happened when Nixon abolished the draft-there were no more large scale demonstrations after that. Just Communists following their puppet master-back then it was Moscow...who pulls Communist strings today?;)
. . . but . . . but that’s different.
As an original protester back in the late 80's, I kinda get the point. Distraction on thoroughfares are not a good thing. There are plenty more places to stage a protest.
We could have held our protest in the basement of one of our homes. Would that work for you?
This the poilce's (AKA Obama's Stasi) fall back charge. Try to arrest someone without a based chaege and then pull out the "Resisting Arrest" goodie from their little bag o' tricks.
Trouble is, his non-resistance is quite clear on the video.
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