Activist Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Nonsense? How else do you explain Bush winning 2 elections?

He only won one. He lost the first election.

There also seems to be some evidence that he lost the 2nd as well, though I don't particulary care, since he had five million more votes than Kerry. I don't agree with the Electoral College crap.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Oerdin
That's pretty week. Does wearing a t-shirt prevent Bush from giving his speech? Would he even see it? This rule is designed for one specifici purpose and that is to silence the opposition and that is never a good thing is a democracy.

I have to agree with Harry Tuttle and Imran.

At first, I was concerned that Sheehan was being singled out because of the political views expressed on her T-Shirt. That would be a surpression of her 1st Amendment Rights.

BUT a Republican Congressman's wife was ejected for wearing a pro-war shirt supporting our troops. This shows that no protesting is permitting in the gallery, whether it is pro-govt or anti-govt.

So, it's a time-place-and-manner test. The rationale would be that "protests" even non-verbal, polite, written protest, could be disruptive to the legislative process.

As long as this is a content-neutral rule, even handedly applied, I have no problem with it.

[Gibsie]

Two wrongs make a right now? You could at least condemn the fact that Sheehan was arrested but the other woman wasn't.

[Ramo]

Charges against antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan, who was arrested after an incident involving a T-shirt she wore to the State of the Union address, will be dropped, officials told NBC News Wednesday.

U.S. Capitol Police took Sheehan away in handcuffs and charged her with unlawful conduct, a misdemeanor, when she showed up to President Bush’s address Tuesday night wearing a shirt that read, “2245 Dead. How many more?” — a reference to the number of soldiers killed in Iraq.

But Capitol Police will ask the U.S. attorney’s office to drop the charges, NBC News’ Mike Viqueira reported Wednesday.

“We screwed up,” a top Capitol Police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said Sheehan didn’t violate any rules or laws.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11120353

As for why this action was illegal, from Bynum v. Capitol Police:

Believing that the Capitol Police needed guidance in determining what behavior constitutes a demonstration,” the United States Capitol Police Board issued a regulation that interprets “demonstration activity” to include:

parading, picketing, speechmaking, holding vigils, sit-ins, or other expressive conduct that convey[s] a message supporting or opposing a point of view or has the intent, effect or propensity to attract a crowd of
onlookers, but does not include merely wearing Tee shirts, buttons or other similar articles of apparel that convey a message.

Traffic Regulations for the Capitol Grounds § 158;

http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/97-1337c.pdf

[Drake Tungsten]

If they'd just bar women from the Capitol, then we wouldn't have any of these problems.

[Zkribbler]

Or just make the women remove their T-Shirts.

[CrONoS]

@Zkribbler:
Please no! I dont want to see this.(sheehan and the republican woman).

unless Angelina Jolie is in the room!!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


House police, not the GOP. Let's place blame where blame is due. Also, they removed a Congressman's wife for wearing something indicating support of the Prez, so it's not like they were just silencing the left.

The "house policy" was enacted by the Republican majority because they were tired of actually having to listen to people who disagreed with their policies. The Congress, like the President, prefers to live in a bubble surrounded by yes-men.

It is good to see they at least enforce the policy uniformly even if the intent of the policy is to stiffle nondisruptive expression.

[notyoueither]

Police, Oerdin, not policy.

[Dinner]

Police arrested her based upon a policy. A no t-shirt policy. A no t-shirt policy which the courts have previously struck down.

[notyoueither]

the United States Capitol Police Board

Is that a GOP dominated body?

[Dinner]

I believe the capital police board just enforces polices set by the actual Congress.

[notyoueither]

What policy was that?

the United States Capitol Police Board issued a regulation that interprets “demonstration activity"

“We screwed up,” a top Capitol Police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said Sheehan didn’t violate any rules or laws.

[Zkribbler]

This policy:

"The officers made a good faith, but mistaken effort to enforce an old unwritten interpretation of the prohibitions about demonstrating in the Capitol," Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said in a statement late Wednesday.

[notyoueither]

old unwritten interpretation of the prohibitions about demonstrating in the Capitol

What does that have to do with 'the Republican majority'?