ACLU filed for a Temporary Restraining Order on 8/18 and it was denied. Today was part 2, a hearing for an injunction.
For reasons I don't understand, only the Missouri Highway Patrol and St. Louis County PD were named in the suit.
For more reasons I don't understand, the ACLU did not have any video footage of either of those entities threatening protesters with arrest if they didn't "keep moving." (PLEASE contact the MO ACLU if you have footage of a STLCO or MHP cop telling you to "keep moving or face arrest" etc! No, they didn't ask me to send people to them, they don't even know I am doing this, but there is PLENTY of footage out there and it should have been seen in court today!)
I have more to say about what I learned in court today, especially about how truly delusional the police are, and how easily they lie under oath. But something more important, all of the police arguments for telling people to "keep moving" were based on the amount of protesters gathering.
Well, I was told to keep moving, and to shut up (I was yelling at the police) and that I would be arrested if I didn't keep moving. And I was alone.
A lot of people took pictures and video of me, and I really need help finding it. The more documentation I have the better. Please read this and see if you can spread the word, help me find someone with a photo or video. I think I have a very good lawsuit to file.
On 8/19 I took the #61 bus from Riverview to West Florissant and walked down to the protest area across from Quik Trip. I was wearing a pink cowboy hat and shorts and white tennis shoes. (That's all I remember of my clothing.)
I was wearing a hand painted green sign with white lettering that said "There is no such thing as Unlawful Assembly. The entire USA is a Free Speech Zone at all times. #Justice for Mike" It hung on a cord around my neck.
I got there about 4:30. I gave Anderson Cooper, several MoHP personnel, and several protesters a copy of this leaflet. http://optinstl.blogspot.com/2014/08/dear-ferguson-police-department-mo.html
I stood near some folks selling hands up don't shoot t-shirts. At 5 PM I noticed that traffic had slowed considerably, and I saw the police were setting up illegal roadblocks, one at West Florissant and Highmont.
Let me be clear about some things: There were no big crowds. Everyone was on the sidewalk. Everyone was moving around (except for the 100's of cops in their cars and Swat vehicles or just standing around talking to each other).
THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE ROADBLOCKS.
I tried to get the St Louis County cop manning the roadblock to call his superior officer that had ordered this, but he told me that EVEN THOUGH HE AGREED HE WAS VIOLATING THE 1st AMENDMENT AND THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE ROADBLOCK he was afraid to lose his job. Another cop made a lame attempt to warn me of arrest but did nothing about it.
So I started yelling at passing cars "This roadblock is illegal. These officers are violating Constitutional law. Every single one of these police officers should be in jail. If their boss told them to steal cigarillos and they did, they would be arrested for stealing. They are breaking the highest law in the land. There is no reason for this roadblock. We are peaceful, we are on the sidewalk. You should not have to go through a roadblock to drive down streets you pay for. You should not have to show your ID to the police to drive down a major street..." Etc, and so on, for almost 2 hours.
The vans filled with cops in SWAT gear would come by and sneer at me, and laugh. A lot of people in cars took my picture or recorded me, and many nodded in agreement and more than a few just drove around the roadblock without stopping.
As it got near sunset their was a storm coming and I left Highmont and went up to Chambers to catch the bus home. When I got there I had time so I started yelling the same thing at the cops blocking Chambers. Several of them threatened me with arrest and I read them the 1stAmendment. Then they told me had to keep moving. Then that I had to shut up. Then that I couldn't stand at the median for the crosswalk but on the sidewalk.
Then the officer went and got a Sergeant. I got his name. He not only threatened me with arrest, he informed that the roadblocks were set up at the request of the Ferguson County Council (none of them could site ANY ordinance or reason for the roadblock) and that since pedestrians could get through it was ok, because "driving is a privilege" in Missouri. Meaning, I thought, that any cop has the right to take it away from you at any time.
When I told him he couldn't arrest me for shouting Free Speech while walking to the bus stop, he pointed at the southbound West Florissant bus stop, for the #74, and where the bus couldn't go anyhow, because they'd shut down the street.
He finally left me alone, I think because his shift was over. When the cop cars unblocked Chambers I stopped yelling (but continued to wear my sign) and went to catch the #61 back to Riverview. At the bus stop a white guy in a car stopped to take a pic of my sign. I gave him my last leaflet.
I'd say I have a good case here, but it'd be better if I could some more documentation, as I was alone, and since the cops seems to have memory problems, and also seem to feel just fine lying outright, I'd like to find some more documentation, witnesses, etc.
My glasses are different now, but this is the only pic I could find wearing the hat.
Please email me at optinstl@gmail.com
YOUR rights are being trampled in Ferguson, too. And it has not stopped. The police are still illegally arresting people and making up excuses to attack the protesters. REMEMBER, what we are protesting is THE POLICE. And they are far too comfortable in their impunity.
Please, ask everyone you know if they saw a loud mouthed crazy woman shouting on West Florissant about the Constitution, on Tuesday August 19, 2014, between 430-730, approximately.
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