Lt. Dan Choi threatened with arrest in Topeka, Kansas
Posted: June 24, 2011 Filed under: Kansas, LGBT 12 Comments »Video of anti-choice protesters with Governor Brownback carrying large flags
Lt. Dan Choi was in Topeka, Kansas today in support of gay and lesbian rights when Capitol Police officers nearly arrested him outside the state capitol for refusing to surrender his American flag. One witness reports that the police claimed that flags could be used as weapons.
The flags that were referred to as weapons by Topeka Capitol Police
The police threatened to arrest those who would not turn in their American flags. Choi dared the police officers to take his flag.
Police backed down when challenged by Choi and other protesters who claimed their First Amendment rights to express themselves through the American flag. There is video of the incident, as well as photos that I will be obtaining, likely by tomorrow.
Jon Powell, of Hutchison, Kansas and the Kansas Equality Coalition were at the protest and captured video and photographs of the incident.
The protesters did have a permit, issued by the city of Topeka, allowing them to hold their demonstration outside the capitol building. The flags in question were small, parade style flags. No one was arrested.
More to follow…
Look out, he’s got a No.2 pencil!
OMG, they’ve got nail files!
I’m sorry sir, you’ll have to get off the streets. You are really built, and if you wanted to throw one of the smaller officers into traffic you could do it, so it’s not safe for you to be allowed outside among people.
It’s stories like this that make good cops – the ones with common sense who I’m sure were as annoyed as the protesters at being told to claim the flags were potential weapons – look like morons with Napoleon-complexes.
The Capitol police had no problem with flags being used when Brownback was addressing an anti-abortion crowd. People were holding flags on the same stage as Brownback. The “no flag” rule was created simply to disrupt the protest and complaints should be filed for the open discrimination against the protesters.
Picture of anti-choice protest with Brownback and flags not being confiscated by police:
http://www.nrlc.org/news_and_views/Jan2011/nv012511part3.html
Apparently you’re only allowed to hold flags on the Capitol grounds if Brownback personally likes/agrees with your cause. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUsGKRjY6JU&feature=youtu.be
Mr. Choi is no longer a member of the military so the use of “LT.” in your title is incorrect.
Do you still refer to Sarah Palin as “Governor Palin”? As for Lt. Choi, the man earned his rank and he will be addressed as such on this blog.
Dreggs: Lt. Dan Choi is referred to as such because his story broke headlines while he was still an active duty Lt. in the US Army, many of us came to know him as such. After my father’s retirement from the Navy, many who knew him then still refer to him as Chief (or Senior Chief). I do not see how this would be “incorrect” as that person had achieved that title and the use of it is in congruence with a sense of familiarity.
[...] be on poles or sticks that could be used as weapons and the police were enforcing that law. but the Left reports it thusly; The police threatened to arrest those who would not turn in their American flags. Choi dared the [...]
All round well written blog post…
Hardly. It’s a badly written and entirely biased blog post, defaming an American veteran based on minimal information and little grasp of the issue at hand. Hell the blog post thinks the problem was the governor attending a ‘prayer meeting’. And once again they accuse the left of picking and choosing what constitutes free-speech while not bothering to educate themselves remotely on just what the people were exercising their First Amendment rights for.
What are you referring to?
Ruh roh. I could’ve sworn I double checked that the “All round well written blog post…” was a reply on the “This ain’t hell” link above. I remember because on the downstairs computer the indent wasn’t so obvious per tier. But apparently I goofed, and it wasn’t.
To quote the Republican front-runner, oops.
Please consider my comment merely a brief review of the trackback above.
Thx michaelshatz, for pointing it out. At least I can look mildly less moronic but owning up to the oversight. :)
May be this blog’s greatest read around!