Post by WaTcHeR on Jan 23, 2006 12:39:48 GMT -5
Jan 23, 2006 — A crowd of abortion rights supporters were asked to leave by the Gettysburg Police after gathering on the Gettysburg Square on Sunday to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision and to protest against the appointment of Samuel Alito to the highest court.
One man, Bruce K. Davis, of York, was arrested while police dispersed the crowd of around 25 from the square at around 12:50 p.m.
The protesters were on the square for about 45 minutes before being told to leave. Gettysburg Police Chief Rolf Garcia said the group didn't have the required permit to protest on the square.
"The borough code is specific. Nineteen or more people assembled - whether it's for the same thing or not - must have a permit," the chief said. "The group applied for a permit, and the permit would have been signed, but they didn't have liability insurance. So the permit was denied."
Garcia said Davis was arrested because he refused to leave.
"(Davis) was asked nicely to leave," the chief said. "(He) didn't leave. Because of this, (he) will be subject to fines. End of story."
The group, the Gettysburg National Organization for Women, had planned the gathering to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, said Kristin Eyssell, the group's vice chairwoman. But since the group couldn't get a permit, the gathering was cancelled.
"It seems that people are still expressing their rights of free speech," she said on the square, referring to the groups of people holding signs with slogans against Alito and for a woman's right to choose.
Davis' daughter, Kody Hill Davis, 23, of York, said they weren't part of any group.
"We came out a family because of the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling," she said.
"We're a pro-choice family. It's a family outing of sorts. My father was arrested because he didn't see why he wasn't allowed to express his views."
Luke Norris, a senior at Gettysburg College, said there wasn't a coherent group protesting on the square.
"If there were any groups, there were two, the pro-choice and the anti-Alito" he said.
"Even so, if you divide the anti-Alito group and the pro-choice group, neither was more than 19 people. We were individuals gathered to express our views as the First Amendment dictates we can."
Norris said the police made an assumption that everyone was part of the same group, but they weren't.
Jaime Menegus, of Washington, D.C., said it's hard to get a permit when no one is part of a group.
"We need to improve our communication skills, and it's not going to work if we're not allowed to communicate in a public area," she said. "We're all not part of the same group, so it's kind of hard to get a permit."
Outside the police station about two hours after being arrested, Davis explained that the police officer said he and his family were unlawfully gathering on the square.
"I was handcuffed and taken to the police station because both he and I let it escalate more than it should have," Davis said.
"He told me to leave and I told him I didn't believe that I had to, that I was exercising my rights as an individual. The officer told me that if I didn't leave he would have to arrest me. At that point, I put down my sign and told him, 'I guess you're going to do what you have to do.'"
Davis explained that a brief struggle with the officer resulted because he wanted to give his wife the keys to their car so his family wouldn't be stranded.
"The officer said I was resisting arrest," he said, referring to the struggle that ensued. The officer eventually found the keys and handed them to Davis' wife.
Davis was release and received two citations.
"I didn't get arrested for the publicity," he said.
One man, Bruce K. Davis, of York, was arrested while police dispersed the crowd of around 25 from the square at around 12:50 p.m.
The protesters were on the square for about 45 minutes before being told to leave. Gettysburg Police Chief Rolf Garcia said the group didn't have the required permit to protest on the square.
"The borough code is specific. Nineteen or more people assembled - whether it's for the same thing or not - must have a permit," the chief said. "The group applied for a permit, and the permit would have been signed, but they didn't have liability insurance. So the permit was denied."
Garcia said Davis was arrested because he refused to leave.
"(Davis) was asked nicely to leave," the chief said. "(He) didn't leave. Because of this, (he) will be subject to fines. End of story."
The group, the Gettysburg National Organization for Women, had planned the gathering to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, said Kristin Eyssell, the group's vice chairwoman. But since the group couldn't get a permit, the gathering was cancelled.
"It seems that people are still expressing their rights of free speech," she said on the square, referring to the groups of people holding signs with slogans against Alito and for a woman's right to choose.
Davis' daughter, Kody Hill Davis, 23, of York, said they weren't part of any group.
"We came out a family because of the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling," she said.
"We're a pro-choice family. It's a family outing of sorts. My father was arrested because he didn't see why he wasn't allowed to express his views."
Luke Norris, a senior at Gettysburg College, said there wasn't a coherent group protesting on the square.
"If there were any groups, there were two, the pro-choice and the anti-Alito" he said.
"Even so, if you divide the anti-Alito group and the pro-choice group, neither was more than 19 people. We were individuals gathered to express our views as the First Amendment dictates we can."
Norris said the police made an assumption that everyone was part of the same group, but they weren't.
Jaime Menegus, of Washington, D.C., said it's hard to get a permit when no one is part of a group.
"We need to improve our communication skills, and it's not going to work if we're not allowed to communicate in a public area," she said. "We're all not part of the same group, so it's kind of hard to get a permit."
Outside the police station about two hours after being arrested, Davis explained that the police officer said he and his family were unlawfully gathering on the square.
"I was handcuffed and taken to the police station because both he and I let it escalate more than it should have," Davis said.
"He told me to leave and I told him I didn't believe that I had to, that I was exercising my rights as an individual. The officer told me that if I didn't leave he would have to arrest me. At that point, I put down my sign and told him, 'I guess you're going to do what you have to do.'"
Davis explained that a brief struggle with the officer resulted because he wanted to give his wife the keys to their car so his family wouldn't be stranded.
"The officer said I was resisting arrest," he said, referring to the struggle that ensued. The officer eventually found the keys and handed them to Davis' wife.
Davis was release and received two citations.
"I didn't get arrested for the publicity," he said.