31 Women Arrested During Virginia Protest

[son_of_montfort]

Ok, now I'm starting to get paranoid like some of you all...  ;)

31 people from women's rights groups were arrested on the Virginia capitol lawn after gathering in protest of the new bill requiring ultrasounds for abortions.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/mar/03/18/womens-rights-protestors-rally-capitol-grounds-abo-ar-1737914/

RICHMOND, Va. --

8:30 p.m.

Del. Delores L. McQuinn, D-Richmond, tonight spoke out against the arrests of 31 women's rights demonstrators in a protest at the state Capitol earlier today that drew Virginia State Police in riot gear.

She said the arrests "are just the latest example of government overreach that we've seen in recent weeks."

"The men and women who marched on Capitol Square have a right to peacefully protest without the threat that they will be arrested for exercising that right," McQuinn said in a news release. "At several recent women's rights events, there has been an overabundance of police presence. In fact, the Capitol Police tactical team has been at all of the events," she said.

McQuinn said she had "never seen a similar police presence when guns rights advocates assemble on Capitol Square on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday."

McQuinn called the arrests "a sad reminder that our progress towards equality for all Virginians has not been achieved."

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. Earlier updates are posted below. Read more in tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.)

This is sharp contrast to the guns rights advocates who marched on Martin Luther King's birthday (insensitive much, the guy was shot) carrying guns to the Capitol, but who were not arrested.

Now this isn't just a women's rights issue - it IS a First Amendment issue.

[LongBlade]

Wow. Before we know it you'll have a Gadsden Flag in your front yard.

I'd like to hear why riot police were called out for a peaceful protest. That makes no sense on the surface. Zero.

[son_of_montfort]

That's what I thought.

Between this and the outrage over Rush's "slut," "prostitute" and "sex tape" comments, we are going to be facing a big jump in women's rights unrest. Rightfully so, IMHO, but this will certainly have some political implications.

[Steelgrave]

There is probably some sarcastic humor waiting to be found in the fact that the gun owners were left unmolested while the women drew the riot police, but I'm not going there. I am curious as to why this happened though, seems like there must be more to the story.

[Jarhead0331]

This is sharp contrast to the guns rights advocates who marched on Martin Luther King's birthday (insensitive much, the guy was shot) carrying guns to the Capitol, but who were not arrested.

This is PRECISELY the point.  i strongly suspect the police kept a respectful distance because these advocates were openly armed.  That is a text book example of why the Second Amendment is so important and strong proof that it actually works.

[Smuckatelli]

Supporting fires to Jarhead......

Just goes to show that you can't exersize the 1st without the 2nd....

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Virginia has a well regulated State Police.

Virginia is also an open carry (OC)state, you have to be 21 to buy a pistol but you can OC at 18.

http://www.washingtonian.com/print/articles/6/174/18165.html

It doesn't matter how regulated a government agency is, the ladies have the right to OC. Picking a choosing one right over the other doesn't work as this display of only the 1st Amendment rights shows.

If they would have been OC, there wouldn't have been 31 arrests, there would have been a lot more caution and reasoning from both sides of the fense.   

[Smuckatelli]

This is sharp contrast to the guns rights advocates who marched on Martin Luther King's birthday (insensitive much, the guy was shot) carrying guns to the Capitol, but who were not arrested.

MLK getting shot has nothing to do with law abiding citizens carrying guns.  ;)

[Smuckatelli]

Some additional intell:

As Ben reported yesterday, the protest was peaceful and for the most part, within the standards set up by the General Assembly when it comes to mass gatherings at the State Capitol. Roughly one thousand people set up at the Bell Tower to send a message to the governor regarding the legislation.

However, things took a turn when a small group of protestors decided to assemble on the steps of the Capitol building. A maneuver that is specifically prohibited by the Department of General Services regulations. Capitol Police asked the Virginia State Police for help in breaking up the situation. The result was a moment that created unpleasant optics. State Police in full riot gear forcibly removing Virginia citizens from a public building. Many of them arrested and temporarily detained.

http://nbc12.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/mcdonnells-role-in-capitol-protests/

So the police were stuck, the protestors were prohibited from assembling on the steps of the captol. The police gave them 30 minutes to leave the steps. The refused so they were arrested. I'm guessing that since the regulation has been on the books since 1972, it was probably driven by the Vietnam Protests from that time.

The difference betwen this protest and the pro gun bubbas.......

Generally the 2nd Amendment advocates are law abiding citizens that go out of thier way to follow the law. I am willing to bet that if they were told to move from an area, they moved.

[LongBlade]

Being politely asked to move and then failing?

That explains a few things.

Those folks changed from being a lawful protest to an unlawful one. End of story.

[son_of_montfort]

Only you guys would turn women arrests into an argument for Second Amendment rights. *rolls eyes* The point was in the comparison of the treatment of the two protests, not in the two causes.

Although I would wonder if it isn't illegal to carry a gun to the Capitol building?

MLK getting shot has nothing to do with law abiding citizens carrying guns.

Exactly, so why have the protest on the birthday of a guy who was notably assassinated? Symbolically speaking, that was a silly move.

[Smuckatelli]

Only you guys would turn women arrests into an argument for Second Amendment rights. *rolls eyes* The point was in the comparison of the treatment of the two protests, not in the two causes.

Facts SoM....it was a mix of womenr and men. The argument is about all of our rights. The comparison of the two protests is that one obeyed the law (gun advocates) while the other didn't.

If the police give you 30 minutes to move from a location that you aren't allowed to be in, and you don't move...should the police just say...oh well, we tried.....

Although I would wonder if it isn't illegal to carry a gun to the Capitol building?

It probably is illegail to carry inside the building just as it is illegial to conduct protest on the steps. The difference is that if a law abiding citizen attempted to walk into the building, he would no longer be a law abiding citizen and would be arrested....the wouldn't give him 30 minutes to change his mind.

[son_of_montfort]

I'm still not sure this was handled well, from a public perceptions standpoint.

The argument will lie in what LB posted:

Being politely asked to move and then failing?

That explains a few things.

Those folks changed from being a lawful protest to an unlawful one. End of story.

How polite were they asked? Was their warning? Did they know it was illegal to be on the steps? I'm not arguing these points, but others will.

Basically, my feeling is this just threw gasoline on the per-existing firestorm of the ultrasound bill.

[Smuckatelli]

How polite were they asked? Was their warning? Did they know it was illegal to be on the steps? I'm not arguing these points, but others will.

At about the 16:15 mark a Police Officer talks on a megaphone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCXWHc-elUo

The caption on the video:

After a short march through downtown Richmond, protesters arrived at the bottom of Capitol hill in Richmond, and began walking to the steps. Capitol Police stopped them midway, but the protesters were not deterred. They continued to march on to the Capitol steps where 30 sat down and were arrested.

I'm sure that even if the Police said pretty please with sugar on top....the protestors still wouldn't have left.

[son_of_montfort]

Well, they certainly knew about it.

I see what they were doing, they were challenging the authority of that law regarding the steps against their First Amendment rights to peaceful protest and right to gather.

Now that more is known, it looks like a regular protest tactic. Which is good, because the alternative was scary.

Although, if they turn up footage of the gun advocates on the steps, there is going to be real trouble.

[LongBlade]

Although, if they turn up footage of the gun advocates on the steps, there is going to be real trouble.

Unlikely. Guys with guns like to follow the law.