The CSUN 6 are currently facing charges for the following:
Per California Penal Code section 409:
Every person remaining present at the place of any riot, rout,
or unlawful assembly, after the same has been lawfully warned to
disperse, except public officers and persons assisting them in
attempting to disperse the same, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Was there a riot? Or were the cops unruly?
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March 4, 2010
Day of Action; LAPD Out of Control Click Here for More Photos
Depends on what activities the protesters were participating in. Last I heard, they were sitting in the middle of the street preventing traffic from moving, which can be considered "unlawful assembly" under that penal code because they were affecting innocent bystanders who had nothing to do with the protest or its target. This is why whenever you see protests or strikes of any type, it's on the side of the road or outside the company/store/office in question, because you don't want to drag people into a conflict they have no interest in.
ReplyDeleteRemember a few years ago when the grocery store workers went on strike and they were outside nearly every store? It was hard enough going inside to get bread without being verbally berated and made most of us feel extremely uncomfortable. Now imagine if they took it to the next level and physically blocked anyone from getting into any of the stores. Yes, we would have understood what they were trying to do and maybe even agreed with their motivations, but that did not change that we still needed to get inside to buy food, and by preventing that, they were unlawfully impeding into my life. That is the problem, and the same logic can be applied to sitting in the street in protest. Some people were just trying to get to work/home/day care, and stopping that is not within any of our rights.
Now, I am in no way condoning the actions of the police. Their actions were outright unwarranted given the nature of the participants - they were up against students and teachers. There was no need for physical violence of any sort, much less any that results in hospitalization of numerous individuals. I also oppose the charges of "rioting". While they were certainly acting within the law to arrest some individuals under that penal code, once everything had settled down the charges should have been dropped and they should have been released. There are no long-term damage made by these 6 students, they were not the ringleaders of this protest – they just attended. To continue to hold them, charges intact, is an attempt to strike fear anyone else who would stand up and say something against injustice. I am all for helping them realize the folly in that. Just encourage looking into both sides if the tale…
SUPPORT THE CSUN 6! SUPPORT THE CSUN 6! SUPPORT THE CSUN 6!
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ReplyDeleteIn regards to the fact they were in the middle of the street would you
ReplyDeleteargue that MLK and leaders of the civil rights movement made the wrong
choice by taking streets and freeways? How else do you peacefully get
the communities attention. Also, if the tax payers have rights to the
streets why would it be considered private property during the
protest. Not to mention the students did have permit to march. They
were less than a block off of the permitted area when they were
arrested.
Let me take each of your comments in turn:
ReplyDelete1) No, MLK was not wrong, however under the law his actions were riotous. There is no denying that - we just had more on our side than the cops could handle. :)
2) Regarding the streets being private property, I think you misunderstood my example. The streets are public property. Which means EVERYONE has the same rights on that land, at any time. So if you hinder another and limit their right of movement, then your actions, however just, are illegal.
3) A block off the permitted area is outside the permitted area. Arguing against that is like being at store and paying 80% of the displayed price. Would you argue, "Well I only missed 20%."