A Report From Wednesday's Protests At The Georgia Capitol Building
From another participant:
We survived, however, see my account of what happened....
OK, now that I have a fresh mind (ha!) I'll expand on what happened. Our group, Restore the Constitution, decided to attend the SEIU counter protest on Wednesday, February 23… armed. We decided to test the water by openly carrying our sidearms and would then make a determination about the rifles thereafter. For those of you who don’t know, Georgians can open or conceal carry sidearms with a Georgia Firearms License (carry permit) and if you can legally own a firearm, you can carry a loaded rifle in an open manner. Please do not consider this as legal advice and thoroughly read and understand all of Georgia’s gun laws before carrying a weapon of any kind. Legal disclaimer ends…
Georgia SB-308 revised Georgia gun law to allow, at least, these two things; 1) you can open or conceal carry at a rally and 2) you can carry on state property, just not buildings where judges, congress critters, jails and similar buildings. I read the Georgia "capitol ground rules" and while they violate Georgia Law, they state you can't be on capitol grounds with a weapon. So, we spot up across the street from the capitol with the rest of the Tea Party people. A couple of guys in our RTC group approached LEO and were told we can't carry on Capitol ground, which we weren't.
I was approached by Lt. Mitchell of the Capitol Police and Ben James of Georgia Department of Public Safety and told I couldn't carry a gun where I was standing because 1) you can’t carry weapons to a rally and 2) I was on state property. I corrected the officers by citing both of their reasons for telling me to leave were stricken from GA law with the passing and signing of SB308 and they were giving me an illegal order. At one point during the “debate” I lowered my right arm, which GDPS Officer James thought was a move toward my gun and grabbed my wrist and told me not to go for the gun. I quickly corrected him saying I was not doing such a thing and that I would be one of those who would come to his aide, should he ever need it and not one to draw a gun on LEO. We then discussed the capitol ground rules that state no weapons were allowed on capitol grounds. While this is an illegal rule, we were abiding by it. However, Lt. Mitchell, in his infinite power, expanded the capitol grounds boundary well over two blocks from where the rally was. So, to “play nice” we went all the way to Atlanta Underground.
Wile at Atlanta Underground area, we decided to bring out the rifles and set up our banners and flags. Interestingly, we must have been right next to the Sheriff’s office or something because at least 8-10 deputies walked to the parking garage we were standing by and we just exchanged pleasantries and not one mention was made about the guns. Shortly before we were packing up to leave, Atlanta PD stopped by to question what we were doing. We briefed them on how the Capitol Police chased us down to where we were while protesting. The officer acknowledged what I said and reported to dispatch via radio what was going on. We’re assuming someone called 911. As a side note, EVERY encounter the RTC group has had with APD has been nothing but positive.
Another side note, Georgia State Representative Sean Jerguson, co-sponsor of SB308, was mingling in the Tea Party crowd. He stated two things; 1) the officers were completely wrong and he was going to speak with the Chief of Capitol Police and 2) he appreciated the manner in which w conducted ourselves, utilizing the new law and not getting in the face of LEO. The last thing we need is an altercation between law abiding gun carriers and LEO.
To sum things up:
1) GA State Capitol ground rules violate GA gun law
2) Our 1st amendment rights were violated by Lt. Mitchell and Officer James, see bold test below
3) Our 2nd amendment rights were violated by Lt. Mitchell and Officer James, see bold test below
This will not end here. I’m considering legal action against the Georgia Capitol Police, Georgia Department of Public Safety and whomever makes the Capitol ground rules for violating our constitution rights.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment II
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.
Supplemental from CA:
A Captain Boyd (?) of the Capitol Police advised me that he would not identify who in Georgia State Government gave what he described as the order that "no rifles will be allowed" in the capitol area. Captain Boyd refused to appear on camera, and refused my repeated requests for a Public Information Officer, claiming that none were available on a business weekday with massive local media coverage of a major demonstration.
At your protests this weekend, folks, bring paper, pen, and lots of cameras.
Document, document, document.
Call them on their lies.
Resist.
posted by Concerned American | 2:39 AM
9 Comments:
Good work to all involved.
The reflexive "Us v. Them" was on display with your Capitol Police, but it seems your APD may actually be passingly familiar with 2A.
Every single force in the DC Metro, with the possible exception of Virginia State Police, find 2A to be a personal affront.
Thank you for being Patriots.
Kerodin
III
Thanks, more than well done.
I too would like to thank you.
I'm out here in Wyoming and we don't have too many towns or protests anywhere near where I live. Things are changing out here too with the LEO's. Many are moving from the cities and taking jobs with the smaller Sheriffs dept's and bringing their big city macho trips and disinformation with them. Jackson Hole is like Beverly Hills North. They need to be re-educated in Wyoming law and not 'where they worked in the big city'. Way too much attitude for our laid back "Cowboy State".
Again, thanks for all your hard work.
0321
Kudo's Pete... Pile on and don't forget to notify Georgia Carry about this.
THIS is why you REALLY do not want me at one of these rallies. But thank you for putting up with the swill. Best of luck getting ANY justice from the filthy maggot pigs, however. There IS NO Rule of Law. There are only Thugs with Guns, and may they rot in hell for what they have done to this country!
So let me see if I understand yet.
There are links all over the “freedom” blogisphere, to include this blog just yeasterday o, to this story..................
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=180761
Hear we read:
“On Saturday night, when Mother Jones staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators out of the Wisconsin capitol building—something that didn’t end up happening—one Twitter user sent out a chilling public response: “Use live ammunition.”
From my own Twitter account, I confronted the user, JCCentCom. He tweeted back that the demonstrators were “political enemies” and “thugs” who were “physically threatening legally elected officials.” In response to such behavior, he said, “You’re damned right I advocate deadly force.” He later called me a “typical leftist,” adding, “liberals hate police.”
Only later did we realize that JCCentCom was a deputy attorney general for the state of Indiana.”
“We saw exactly that in Egypt.
It's illegal for a private citizen in Egypt to own a rifle. Yet there were people being sniped - shot in the head from a long distance - during the protests. Who was doing the shooting? Obviously it was government goons as they were the only ones with the requisite weapons.
Now we see advocacy of doing exactly the same thing right here in America.
An apparent government employee - a Deputy Attorney General no less - appears to have publicly advocated firing on protesters.”
Now correct me if I am wrong. Do I understand correctly that this blog and others (note entry for today at top of page titled, Quote of the Week) are advocating for individuals to continue to openly take to the streets, with or without UNloaded weapons, without cover, and make themselves a target during a protest? Even after a government employee in a somewhat powerful position advocated for the murder of people who participate in protests? After evidence has shown the willingness of other governments to murder protesters? (Or did this not actually happen in Egypt? Maybe that is not evidence, but there is this type of evidence in history.)
Have we learned nothing about government?
Are we truly so lost and unthinking that we become more willing, the worse things get, to openly, without purpose put ourselves in danger of being shot in cold blood for the opportunity to shout and “peacefully” shake empty fists, or empty gun, at those who are slowing killing us over time?
Is it not time for a new strategy?
WWalker
And NO.........to all who can’t think past “we got two choices”
1) “work within the system to change the system.”
2) “or shoot the bastards.”
“and we can’t do that, we must hold the moral high ground and join with the criminals in the system and work with them, we can do it, we can shout them into morality, or scare them straight peacefully”
NO, number two is not what I am advocating. But number one sure ain’t it either.
What I am advocating is.....................................the productive withholding, righteously , peacefully what does not rightfully belong to the parasite class, looters, moochers, robbers, whatever you choose to call them. And supporting, and protecting one an others inalienable right to do so.
Yes, it will get ugly. It’s going to anyway.
THEY will come with guns, as they are doing and have been doing.
The larger numbers of, and more that the productive class withhold, the more desperate they will become. They will escalate and bring the battle to the productive. They will shed their thin veil of legitimacy in their desperate fight to hold on to their life source, what they perceive as their rightfully owned slaves.
The productive (as they do now, but with little or no support from their fellow equals) will have the right, the moral responsibility to defend themselves and their fellow producers from attack by the murderers and thieves.
This is the righteous and moral strategy that I advocate and believe has any chance of success in the battle for individual rights, and freedom.
WWalker
Hope this isn't a double, something strange happened first try at submition.
I do appreciate what you did, and are doing. And I don't want to come across as calling you out or telling you what's right, as I know the actions I'd undertake would probably be extremely detrimental on one level, but...
To my way of thinking, it's cops like those two, who are ignorant of the law and making it up as they go along to suit either their agenda or ego, who are the biggest problems. They are clearly not enforcing the law, but acting as union muscle and abusing their authority.
I don't think I could leave it to the courts, or the supervisors, or any other entity, 'cuz it'd go nowhere, these two would suffer no repercussions and would never change their way of conducting themselves.
I know what I'm implying is a huge commitment and would be a life changing event, but I firmly believe we are approaching that point if not already past it.
LEO's like them are part of the problem.
Anonymous 0321,
Arkansas is similarly afflicted by LEOs w/ the attitude you mention & as such Arkansans have developed a method of reminding said official oafs of their status as servants of the public instead of its masters & would be especially appropriate for use in the West/Southwest/similar largely uninhabited areas.:
"Lotta empty space out in the country, not many landmarks, people who don't know the way things are get lost out here all the time & are never seen again, ya know?"
Subtlety is required when using this educational technique in order to avoid legal reprisals, & it helps if the rest of the population agrees w/ the sentiment behind it......& is prepared to back said agreement w/ action if necessary. It does work, though, I've seen it do so myself, but one has to pick the recipient carefully & employ the lesson in the proper conversational manner.
And if the message fails to effect the desired enlightenment of the object, well, there IS a LOT of empty out there in the sticks & unfortunate things DO happen, don't they.
Cassandra (of Troy)
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