Anti-war veteran arrested for dancing in Jefferson Memorial

[Playinghardball]

Source: RawReplay
By Stephen C. Webster

According to a recent court ruling, the National Park Service was acting lawfully in 2008 when officers shut down a “flashmob” and arrested a woman who was “expressively dancing” inside the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In protest of the judge’s decision to uphold the ban on demonstrations, five activists went to the Jefferson Memorial on Saturday and began silently dancing. They were all rounded up by officers in short order.

One of the activists, anti-war veteran Adam Kokesh, appeared to ignore an officer’s order to stop. As he began to slowly walk away, Kokesh was grabbed and violently thrown to the ground, then held down by an officer who put two hands around his throat.

More and see the video at: http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/05/anti-war-veteran-arrested-for-dancing-in-jefferson-memorial/

[gratuitous]

1. If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution

Tell me again how that "ultimate sacrifice" was soooooo worth it? 'Cause I keep forgetting when I look around at our country and its antics.

[Taverner]

10. Emma Goldman! One of my heroines!

I've always felt she was a kind of archetype for 'Maude' from Harold and Maude

[Taitertots]

2. Intentionally misleading article

Walking away from a police officer who is trying to arrest you is resisting arrest. Why are they being intentionally dishonest by conflating criminality with benign action.

Why doesn't the video start when the officers nicely and politely told them that they would not be able to have their event?

[sudopod]

8. Why didn't she go to the back of the bus when

the officers nicely and politely told her that she would not be able to sit there?

[Taitertots]

9. Because systemic racism is not a reasonable restriction to a person's rights

Limiting dancing inside a memorial building is without question a reasonable restriction.

[sudopod]

11. lol

Thomas Jefferson is serious fucking business.

[Taitertots]

12. It is a reasonable restriction

Serious enough that they don't want people dancing there.

[sudopod]

13. Everything you agree with is reasonable.

At least he didn't sit on a picture of George Washington.

[Taitertots]

16. In this case, the supreme court agrees with me

He would be alright if he sat on a picture of George Washington, provided he had permission from the owner.

[sudopod]

Then the law is an ass!

you people need to get the stick out your asses.

And out of the law. :P

[Taitertots]

31. Fight it in the courts and don't resist arrest when practicing civil disobedience

I'd rather have a stick up my ass than my head up there.

[sudopod]

32. how do you think the fight in the courts can otherwise begin?

Why is this such a big deal to you, anyway? Of all the things to get a bee in your bonnet about. :3

[Taitertots]

33. By submitting to arrest

Even if you think the regulation limiting dancing in the Jefferson Memorial is silly, the laws against resisting arrest are not.

[sudopod]

34. This unquestioning attitude is the cancer that's killing America. :/

well, one of them anyway.

[Taitertots]

35. All I'm asking is that they follow the foot steps of the civil rights heroes and anti war protesters

I think regulations saying that people can't dance in the Jefferson Memorial are totally reasonable. I think the reaction was totally reasonable.

Anytime they want to switch to non-violent protests for worthwhile causes than I'll stand right beside them. If they want to start a fight with police over trivial non-grievances, than they will get nothing but condemnation.

[sudopod]

37. Incidentally, there's been an update to the original story:

Update: Officials with the U.S. Park Police said they are investigating whether officers acted with excessive force in the arrests of five activists on Saturday afternoon.

Looks like someone in a position of authority disagrees with you, lol.

[Taitertots]

40. They are investigating, they have not made any accusations

When the investigation exonerates them will you listen to it?

[sudopod]

41. Nope. nt

[sudopod]

29. .

[G_j]

14. yep it's illegal to walk away from an (what should be) illegal arrest

criminality my ass!!
:banghead:

[Taitertots]

17. Resisting arrest is illegal, and they knew they were breaking the law

Wishing something wasn't a crime doesn't make resisting arrest any less criminal.

[G_j]

18. and MLK Jr. was a "criminal" too

yes he was!

[Taitertots]

19. Systemic racism is not a reasonable restriction of a person behavior

The laws that he was breaking were unconstitutional.

Dancing in the Jefferson Memorial is certainly a reasonable restriction of their behavior. The laws that they were breaking are constitutional, reasonable, and made in good faith.

EDIT: MLK wasn't resisting arrest like these people were

[G_j]

20. never mind

not wasting my time, if you are too dense to understand the obvious connection.

[Taitertots]

22. You are trying to conflate the civil right movement with morons dancing around

One group was fighting to stop system human rights abuses, the other was fighting for the right to party. Are you too dense to see the difference between civil rights heroes and idiots who are fighting over stupid shit?

Are you really going to compare the horrors of systemic human rights abuses with "boo hoo, they won't let me dance on Jefferson's grave (I know it is not his grave)".

[G_j]

24. you are calling a Vet practicing nonviolent civil disobedience

a moron?

maybe take a look in the mirror?

[Taitertots]

25. Being a Vet and practicing nonviolent civil disobedience doesn't make him right

He is still a moron asshole fighting over petty bullshit. John McCain is a vet, but that didn't stop him from being a moron asshole fighting for all the wrong causes. Tea baggers have many nonviolent veteran protesters, but I still know that they are full of shit.

[G_j]

26. you have a problem with protesting war?

:shrug:

[Taitertots]

28. Protesting the war doesn't make him right about unrelated issues

There is nothing stopping him from being a moron who happened to be right about one issue, while being wrong about numerous others.

[krabigirl]

3. Good for Adam. Sad state of affairs in this country. Nt

[tblue37]

4. Wow. I just watched the whole video, and the violence

against American citizens who were doing nothing objectionable is amazing!

Imagine some teenager with a earbuds, listening to his iPod playlist and sort of mildly bopping his head or body to the music. That is about how much "dancing" most of the protesters were doing. One couple were simply hlding each other and swaying gently back and forth--and of course they were arrested for it!

And as the security forces took people to the ground and handcuffed them, they were very violent and brutal about it, yelling, "Stop resisting!" the whole time they were roughing people up.

It is true that Kokesh did not cooperate by putting his hands behind his back for handcuffs, but that was the extent of his "resistance." Obviously that enraged the officers, because one literally picked him up and threw him very violently to the ground and grabbed him by the throat with both hands, and then he and another officer very violently turned him oer and handcufed him.

The violence and brutality were unnecessary, but quite obviously a matter of the cops' fury at not being immediately submitted to.

"Respect mah authoritah!!"

[A Simple Game]

5. The law may be stupid and in my opinion unnecessary but

these people were idiots. They certainly were not expressive dancers.

They were respectfully warned multiple times and then actively resisted arrest.

They got what they deserved.

[larkrake]

15. they did not resist arrest, they resisted abuse by park security

it isn't law that you cannot bob and weave to your headphones or hold each other. They disturbed no-one until the security got violent. there was no audible music disturbing anyone. The cops started the conflict by saying "you have no rights in this building". Yes, Adam is an entity onto his own but he did absolutely nothing wrong by turning into a rigid statue.He didn't push back, or hit back and these guards were red with embarrassment as the public complained about their actions.Being picked up and thrown head first to the marble floor is potentially deadly.I am with Adam on this one.

[A Simple Game]

30. They were warned repeatedly.

One did walk away while trying to be restrained and another person locked arms with one they were trying to cuff.

Just because you don't like a law does not mean you can resist arrest. As soon as you start resisting, you open yourself up to abuse.

Were they abused? Hard to tell, that is open to interpretation by the person viewing it. Myself I think it was borderline.

You can agree with the law or not, but police are obliged to enforce laws. And common sense says you do not resist arrest until you are in court.

[Bluebear]

36. "They got what they deserved." - wow.

[A Simple Game]

43. Apparently you don't think they broke any laws.

I do. And so do they, that's why they were there. There is no doubt in my mind that they wanted to be arrested. So yes they got what they asked for and what they deserved.

If you don't think they broke any laws, why do you think they were there?

[Bluebear]

44. whatever, see #38.

[A Simple Game]

46. I saw post 38 once. I came very close to pressing the alert button for the first time.

Anyone who resorts to that kind of rhetoric has already admitted to losing the debate. I won't honor them with a response.

You and I can either have this discussion continue by you answering my question, or we are done. Whatever, it is up to you.

I will repeat the question, "why do you think they were there". I think they were there to get arrested, what do you think?

[sudopod]

38. Update to original story, Mr "they had it coming"

Update: Officials with the U.S. Park Police said they are investigating whether officers acted with excessive force in the arrests of five activists on Saturday afternoon.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Dancing is unAmurkan and a threat to the Republic.

Whereas, marching is especially patriotic.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. This is unbelievably petty.

And therefore a golden opportunity for civil disobedience. Just slightly bob your body back and forth.

[saras]

21. What amazes me is not that the officers are authoritarians, but that so many DUers are

The rigid non-logic...

THE OFFICERS ARE RIGHT - THEY'RE ALWAYS RIGHT

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE WRONG - YOUR OBLIGATION TO OBEY OUTWEIGHS THIS

IF SOMEONE ORDERS YOU TO DO SOMETHING, YOU ARE NOT TO QUESTION
YOU ARE ESPECIALLY NOT TO STOP UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND THE ORDER

BECAUSE THEY'RE WRONG, I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO CARE FOR THEM, OR JUSTICE FOR THEM

OBEY FIRST

same thing with Bradley Manning

[G_j]

27. that is what happens when people accept fascism by degrees nt

[Taitertots]

39. Your "logic" is name calling, making things up, and typing in all caps

When the law is actually unjust everyone here supports reasonable actions to end that injustice. When a police order is actually unjust everyone here supports reasonable actions taken while refusing that order.

Don't be surprised when people refuse to support unreasonable actions taken in support of unreasonable goals.

[Nye Bevan]

23. Sorry, is the right to dance at memorials to dead people a big civil rights issue these days?

I haven't been following this important struggle. Next they'll try to stop people dancing at funerals.

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

42. The first officer said

"You're not allowed to have free speech in the memorial of Thomas Jefferson."


Amazing :eyes:

[Bluebear]

45. Wow.