“Our officers warned him to stop and when he did not, the man was removed from the House Galleries,” USCP said in a statement. He was arrested for crowding, obstructing or incommoding, said USCP, which added that “disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is illegal.”

[–] freagle@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

So freedom of speech is when speech is illegal. Got it.

[–] MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.ml 9 points 8 months ago (3 children)

It's not what he said that got him in trouble, it was disrupting the event and refusing to leave. Freedom of speech doesn't give you the right to stand on top of a fast food counter and yell about politics either. If they ask you to leave, you must leave. Stop being so obtuse.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I am fine with him being arrested for not leaving, but I think the bad part is if he got anything but a slap on the wrist.

[–] MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.ml 4 points 8 months ago

I do agree with that fully. $500 fine and up to 90 days in prison is the range according to the article. I think a week or two is plenty, so I'm thinking less than 20% of the max. Since the guy lost his son, I'd be fine with 3 days or so honestly.

[–] horsey@lemm.ee -1 points 8 months ago

Some people have a really hard time understand what the First Amendment guarantees. It's that the government can't arrest you for criticizing them or running an opposition party, mainly. Which DOES happen in many other countries.

Of course the US has had fucked up instances of that like the FBI investigating MLK, plus so much more. But this incident isn't it.

[–] freagle@lemmygrad.ml -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Classic liberal - public politics on government property is exactly like McBurgers.

It was a public event, on public land, in public property, and it was about politics. It couldn't have been more germane to the context. He also didn't "stand on the counter". The fact that he was asked to leave for doing anything other than cheering and clapping is the problem

[–] MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.ml -1 points 8 months ago

This is too dishonest to even respond to further.