FC: Lewiston, Maine decides to repeal the First Amendment

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

The below link no longer works, but here's one on that's relevant:

http://www.centralmaine.com/news/stories/030110lewiston.shtml
> Police in Lewiston said many streets surrounding Bates College and the 
> National Guard armory will be closed to traffic for security reasons on 
> Saturday. Random searches are promised at both rallies and police say they 
> will not allow weapons, cameras or recording equipment, backpacks or bags, 
> picket signs or face masks.

Cases like these often are the most vexing. Yes, perhaps the ACLU can sue 
and get attorney's fees. But that may not have enough of a deterrent effect 
-- the politicians and police who are involved in these unlawful activities 
don't pay the price themselves. We need a better way to decrease their 
incentives to do the wrong thing.

-Declan

---

From: "Meeks, Brock (MSNBCi)" <Brock.Meeks () MSNBC COM>
To: "'declan () well com'" <declan () well com>
Subject: Lewiston, Maine overturns First Amendment
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 10:25:24 -0800

On the eve of a meeting by the white supremacist World Church of the 
Creator, the city of Lewiston, Maine is taking dumbfounding steps to insure 
"safety" for all in what anticipates will apparently be a potentially 
flash-fire protest.

"Police plan to keep weapons or things that could be used as weapons out of 
both rallies," says a newspaper Sun-Journal newspaper article.  "That 
includes pepper spray, sharp objects, pickets or sticks for signs, face 
masks or hoods that could be used to hide a person's identity."

Now "face masks" are a "weapon"?

Also banned:  "offensive" protest signs!

"Anything offensive, so offensive that it invites a reaction, we're trying 
to keep those out," city administrator Jim Bennett is quoted saying.

Oh, but that's not all, just to be sure that no record is kept of the 
real-time torching of the First Amendment, Bennett also plans to ban all 
cameras, audio and video recorders.

"Some cameras can easily be used as weapons themselves," Bennett said. "But 
it's more clear they could be used to hide more threatening weapons, like 
chemical agents."

Here's the whole 
story: 
<http://www.sunjournal.com/story.asp?slg=011003skurity>http://www.sunjournal.com/story.asp?slg=011003skurity 





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