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| Leon Valley, Texas; First Amendment | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 24 2018, 09:32 PM (120 Views) | |
| ranger121 | Jun 24 2018, 09:32 PM Post #1 |
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For those who have never heard or seen it, the Americans are exposing their police who use serious intimidation tactics and weapons in an unlawful manner against the very people they are supposed to be 'protecting and serving'. They do it by using cameras to record what the police do, because the camera doesn't lie. You can trace this theme of filming the police to keep them in check way back to the now infamous Rodney King video, where the police were exposed beating a guy with batons. They didn't know they were being recorded. Since then, with the spread of a camera on a phone in just about everyone on the planet's pocket, video evidence of police acting in a brutal and sometimes criminal way is becoming common-place. There has been a rise, over the last five years or so, in what are known as 'First Amendment audits', where someone stands across the road from [say] a government building and uses a camera. They are frequently accosted by private security or the police who will demand to know why the person is there. Because it isn't obvious with the camera. From here in most interactions there will be an argument over who owns the piece of ground that the cameraman is stood on, whether trespassing applies, closely followed by a demand to ID the auditor. There will be 'security issues', 'we-don't-know-if-you're-a-terrorist' issues all of which will be fully resolved once the photographer produces a piece of plastic, which the auditor will constantly refuse to do. In the US in most states, unless one has been arrested, you don't have to give your ID. The police will say different, such as 'When approached by an officer, you must produce ID, Sir, that's the law' Which is a flat-out lie, but when confronted by a steroid-munching six-foot six square-jaw who is packing a taser and a Glock along with a lethal pepper spray some people feel they should just meekly hand over their driving licence. Because he said so. In the early days of these encounters a 'win' was where the photographer walks away without getting arrested or producing ID, which irritates the hell out of the police, who will then look for the photographer's car, pull them over for a made-up traffic ticket, and get ID whilst 'fining' them for being awkward. Auditors got wise and began using Uber. Anyway, some first amendment auditing happened one day at Leon Valley, Tx and whilst taking film in the public area of City Hall (which is also the police station, Mayor's office and a court room) a photographer asked a receptionist about a door and was told that behind the door was public access and he could go in there. He did, and down a corridor was confronted by a very aggressive police officer who then proceeded to bounce him out of the City Hall and told him he was trespassed from the building. Always looking for a news story, of course, knowing that one cannot be trespassed from public property, nor is it a criminal offence to take pictures in public, the photographer went back on a later date, was promptly arrested, locked up and charged with criminal trespass, which a magistrate threw out. This prompted another 'audit' where the photographers were then barred from the public lobby under threat of arrest and limited to a small porch whilst peering into the doors which they were ordered not to 'block' else be arrested. This sparked further protest where several photographers who had gathered in the porch way were arrested and had their phones and cameras were seized from them as 'evidence'. A further group of people who were outside on the 'sidewalk' were also arrested and had their phones and cameras seized. To date, none have been returned. Whilst these people were held in custody, the police towed their cars off a privately-owned car park and impounded them. This sparked an even bigger protest where auditors from all over America gathered to make their feelings known about the tyrannical behavior of the police Chief along with the illegal seizing of people's property, and to protest to the people of Leon Valley about what their elected officials and his deputies are up to. Yesterday, whilst numerous protesters were around in the area, the Chief called a press conference outside the City hall, and invited all the photographers to attend. Curious as to what the Chief had to say of course, a number [12?] of auditors gathered and the Chief came out. In a sweeping pincer movement, half-a-dozen officers came out and arrested all of the gathered photographers and seized everyone's phones and cameras. Others who were further away walking by also found themselves in handcuffs. The Chief stated that everyone present was a witness to a crime. Allegedly, someone (any one of the thousands watching the streams) had commented earlier on a livestream and made a threat against the Chief's family. The police were monitoring the livestream and the Chief saw the comment and was enraged. He then made up his mind to retaliate against the protesters. This rage somehow empowered him to arrest everyone in the immediate vicinity and confiscate any electronic devices found. Four of the more well-known auditors were of course further charged with the more aggressive offence of resisting arrest and were kept locked up until today, all the others were 'processed' and then immediately released; however they were not given their phones back, nor were some of them given property receipts for equipment. Leon Valley's police chief appears totally out of control. He appears to think that he can snatch people off the street using armed deputies and confiscate their phones, then release them without charge because someone on the internet made a comment on a public website, and someone might have seen it. His logic appears to be that one of the protesters must have made the comment (and not any one of the thousands of viewers) and therefore a mass arrest and seizure was justified to discover evidence of who it was. This story is not over by a long chalk. |
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| Steve K | Jun 25 2018, 08:44 AM Post #2 |
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Once and future cynic
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welcome to Texas. It's not all bad but it has some very dodgy laws Hard to find news sources covering this. No one should bet this won't all end with a blanket presidential pardon for the police |
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| papasmurf | Jun 25 2018, 09:06 AM Post #3 |
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Just a few mentions:- https://www.themaven.net/pinacnews/police-brutality/texas-cops-arrest-protesters-for-desecrating-thin-blue-line-flag-cameras-seized-ZbjmbokygESXdfXVVldMOQ/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-BSJE8R_5M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IowTCeYRyE0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GlIHS91F_M |
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| Steve K | Jun 25 2018, 09:48 AM Post #4 |
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Once and future cynic
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Not recognised news outlets none of which seem to be running this story |
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| ranger121 | Jun 25 2018, 10:26 AM Post #5 |
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One could have actually watched it live on YouTube, and although the major news networks were told about the arrests as they happened, it appears they have larger fish to fry. Anyway, who cares if a Chief of police decides that snatching people off the street under threat of violence if they protest is a lawful thing to do? Aren't police supposed to do this to protect the rest of us? In the links above, the second one down is a video by 'Johnny 5.0' who went to Leon Valley City Hall just last Thursday to speak to anyone he could find about signs displayed on the doors relating to carrying weapons into the building, which were actually illegal, and managers of other government buildings had been instructed by District Attorneys and the like to remove them from their buildings else large fines were imposed. Really, he was doing them a favour by telling those in charge that the signs shouldn't be there. Having pointed out to a senior police officer that the signs should be removed 'as soon as possible', the interaction (which was filmed) ends with a cordial shake of the hand then the guy leaves. This happened at noon. At midnight the same day, a heavily armed SWAT team arrived at his house, handcuffed him and his whole family including 2 children, held them at gunpoint whilst the house was searched. They seized every camera and sound recording device that they could find. He kept guns in his house; all were seized, and every computer and phone they could find, they took away. They even took the phone belonging to one of the children. All because the man is an 'activist' and the Chief thinks that he and his comrades can be 'shut down'. |
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| papasmurf | Jun 25 2018, 12:30 PM Post #6 |
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I expect Russia TV is. |
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| ranger121 | Jun 25 2018, 01:27 PM Post #7 |
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The police, when they stop someone in the street for any reason (both in the UK and in the US) will demand ID. They have for many, many years simply got away with telling people that they MUST produce ID else they will be arrested. That it is 'against the law' NOT to ID. In most US states, (and in the UK) this is simply not so. However, telling a wound-up copper that he doesn't get an ID simply because they demand it will frequently cause a violent outcome. It is because of YouTube and social media that people in the States are becoming aware that the Constitution is there to protect them against state tyranny and that if they don't use the rights granted to them, they will lose them. About media pick-up on events like this: The idea that media would run a story about an officer who lied to someone in order to get them to give up their ID is a rather hopeful one. If some unarmed black teenager is shot in the back (six times) whilst running away and then has a weapon planted near the scene so that the officer can claim that the killing was 'justified' then they will and have run the story. They made the dead kid into a monster running around with a gun who deserved all he got. It was later that it was discovered (like the Rodney King video) that a bystander had whipped out his phone and filmed the entire incident. Yes, BECAUSE the incident was recorded by someone that was nearby, and all the lies in the police reports came out in court, the officer is now in jail for manslaughter. The media happily then destroyed the cop and was patriotic about 'justice being done' and 'a miscarriage of justice resolved' for the family of the poor, 'innocent' kid who was actually wanted for an attempted mugging which is why the police were chasing him in the first place, allegedly. But a story about a photographer abused by a cop on the street? Unless someone dies, not interesting enough. |
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| johnofgwent | Jun 25 2018, 05:05 PM Post #8 |
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It .. It is GREEN !!
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yeah well that's the states. they deserve it. |
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| ranger121 | Jun 25 2018, 06:36 PM Post #9 |
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It happens here as well. Two photographers went to an army base (Kent, I think) where a tank was on display behind the 'security' gate. They were immediately accosted by two military types who demanded to know why they were lurking around their gate with cameras. They claimed to be wanting a picture of the tank. The two gave the English version of a US audit and refused to answer questions from the military. After a while, the police were called, and after the usual refusal to ID etc., eventually the two were arrested 'on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism' and carted off to the local nick where they were not charged with any offense and released. [Obviously, the arresting officer couldn't convince the booking sergeant that the two were indeed in the act of preparing an act of terrorism] 'Catch and Release' I believe it's called. One of the two did not produce an ID or give his 'details' (a quint English variation) despite being held in handcuffs for 3 hours, but the other had left his car in a pay and display and so didn't want a ticket. So he had to spill the car reg and that was it, game over, ID and life history revealed and no doubt a warning marker on the ANPR against the reg for good measure. Of course, when the police 'de-arrested' the two and transported them back to the car, they couldn't help themselves and searched the car before allowing the two to leave. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9QI-52mCWI&t=2s for a critique. |
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| Steve K | Jul 5 2018, 02:09 PM Post #10 |
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Once and future cynic
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Well two bits of good news - a lawsuit has now been filed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3I1eWNUag8 (bizarely this is in video form but it's all there) - a sort of similar case in Liverpool has seen the police well out of pocket in court https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/policeman-harassed-couple-after-caught-14844280 |
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| ranger121 | Jul 6 2018, 12:52 PM Post #11 |
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There's a paper copy of the suit floating about, which does have a couple of glaring mistakes in it and uses the phrase 'the building is used as a court once in a blue moon'. I don't know if such a descriptor would stand up in court. Anyway, we'll see if it floats past the obvious low-level corruption in the local justice system, then refer it upstairs into Federal court for a fairer hearing. |
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| Steve K | Jul 6 2018, 08:02 PM Post #12 |
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Once and future cynic
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Full text of the lawsuit https://www.scribd.com/document/383292844/lawsuit-against-leon-valley-pdf |
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