Posted on 01/28/2007 4:09:17 PM PST by RDTF
Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of thewest front steps of the United States Capitol building after police wereordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources toldThe Hill.
According to the sources, police officers were livid when theywere told to fall back by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Phillip Morse andDeputy Chief Daniel Nichols. "They were the commanders on the scene," one source said,who requested anonymity. "It was disgusting."
After police ceded the stairs, located on the lower west frontof the Capitol, the building was locked down, the source added.
A second source who witnessed the incident said that the policehad the crowd stopped at Third Street, but were told to bring the policeline in front of the Capitol.
Approximately 300 protesters were allowed to take the steps andbegan to spray paint "anarchist symbols" and phrase such as "Ourcapitol building" and "you can’t stop us" around the area, thesource said.
Morse responded to these claims in an e-mail Sunday afternoon,explaining that the protesters were seeking confrontation with the police.
"While there were minor instances of spray painting ofpavement by a splinter group of Anarchists who were seeking a confrontationwith the police, their attempts to breach into secure areas and rush thedoors of the Capitol were thwarted," Morse said. "The graffiti waseasily removed by the dedicated [Architect of the Capitol] staff, some of whom responded on their day off to quickly clean the area."
He added, "It is the USCP's duty and responsibility to protectthe Capitol complex, staff and public while allowing the public to exercisetheir First Amendment rights … at the end of the day, both occurredwithout injury to protestors or officers."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Looks like the Republicans are afraid of being in control.
Code Pink says they will soon begin invading and occupying the offices of congressional Republicans.
Looks like they could get away with it.
Since when is spray painting public property free speech?
It is in Minnesota! Even spray painting private property, and other acts of "creative political expression". As long as the person exercising such expression is a DFL'er.
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/030906/schmidt.html Jackie in the news herself
It's the chief who should be censured.
Would this mean burning the Capitol is also an expression of free speech?
M-16s on full auto can stop any vandalism and assault on public property.
And this is the last we hear of this. MSM will walk past it and there will be no prosecutions
/spit
Excuse me while I chuckle at all of the outrage on this thread. NONE OF YOU WERE THERE WITH US YESTERDAY WHEN THESE LEFTIES MARCHED ON THE CAPITOL. Why should the Capitol Police put their necks on the line when so few people bother to show up in support of America. There were tens of thousands of lefties against forty of us--including wounded warriors who left their hospital beds to support their country yet again. WHERE WERE YOU?
I'm sure the cost of removing this desecration will become the burden of the protesters, or is this how my taxes will be spent from now on?
You do make a point. A deep point.
1100 miles away. That's why I pay someone to protect my building when I can't be there.
Some of us would have been there if we didn't live in GA and could not get the time off work.
I wonder if the 1960's retreads are working on folk songs and rewriting history while I right this.
wow..cold, next time i go to DC I'll be sure to spray paint something on the capital steps now that i know it's legal!! Where I live it's crime, no matter where you do it!
you're right and just like Kennedy was given a free ride home when he was driving drunk...there are laws.
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