Harrisburg and Protesting :: RunningForums.com

airehead wrote:

rolling rock wrote:

andydp wrote:

In this coutry you have the right to "fight" (i.e. Petition for a redress of grievances) for what you believe in. Good luck - keep a low profile, have bail pre arranged...

bail?

get out of jail free card anyone???

phone home keltic.

And yet nothing happens to those azzclowns protesting at people's funerals and giving Christians everywhere a bad name. Mad

Now something is being done about those assclowns.

Vet bikers from all over the country have organized into groups ready at a moments notice to show up where ever the assclowns do and create a human wall to block their access to the funeral site.

I duno about you, but trying to take on a bunch of rather large and angry vet bikers is not a wise health choice.

Fred Phelps has been arrested before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps

Quote:

Criminal record
[edit]

United States

Phelps was first arrested in 1951 and found guilty of misdemeanor battery after attacking a Pasadena police officer. He has since been arrested for assault, battery, threats, trespassing, disorderly conduct, contempt of court, and several other charges; each time, he (along with Westboro and its other members) has filed suit against the city, the police, and the arresting officers. Though he has been able to avoid prison time—often on technicalities —he has been convicted numerous times: [81] [82] [83]

* 1987: Witness intimidation, threats, and attempted extortion (charges were brought up by the Kansas Bar Association and used as evidence in Phelps' disbarment and the launching of disbarment hearings against his children)
* 1992: Disorderly conduct
* 1993: Disorderly conduct
* 1993: Witness intimidation
* 1994: Contempt of court
* 1994: Two counts of assault (reduced to disorderly conduct on appeal)
* 1995: Assault and battery
* 1997: Two counts of disorderly conduct
* 1998: Disorderly conduct

Phelps' 1993 convictions stemmed from a raid on the offices of his family's lawfirm, "Phelps Chartered," in which $37,000 worth of equipment was seized as evidence. Phelps later sued the city of Topeka for seizing the equipment and won $43,000 in damages. By the time an appeals court overturned the ruling, the statute of limitations had expired and Phelps was allowed to keep the money.

Phelps' 1995 conviction for assault and battery carried a five-year prison sentence, with a mandatory 18 months to be served before he became eligible for parole. Phelps fought to be allowed to remain free until his appeals process went through. Days away from being arrested and sent to prison, a judge ruled that Phelps had been denied a speedy trial and that he was not required to serve any time. [84] [85]

In December 1996, in the wake of Fred Phelps' assault and battery conviction, two Topeka police officers came forward claiming that then-police chief Beavers had, in 1993, enacted a "no-arrest" policy that actively ignored complaints against Phelps and WBC members unless they were blatantly physically violent and/or witnessed by several persons. Beavers was quoted as saying:

The Phelpses are not going to live in my house. Don't these officers know the Phelpses can sue us and take our houses? Commander, do you understand my order?

An investigation was launched by the City of Topeka and the Topeka Sheriff's department in 1996. It was determined that Chief Beavers had been allowing Phelps and WBC protestors to commit crimes without arrest, and that Phelps and WBC members had taken advantage of their knowledge of the policy by becoming more abusive towards Topeka citizens; in following years, Topeka citizens formed a loose support group on the Topeka Capital-Journal message board recalling abuse they had suffered from Westboro members during this period, which included threats of sexual assault to women and children; some claimed that they had caught members of Westboro going through their garbage looking for personal information to use against them. Following the findings of the city and Sheriff's office, Beavers was asked to resign, and his successor immediately repealed the "no arrest" policy.

In addition, Phelps could be tried for the alleged abuse inflicted on his family if not for the statute of limitations.

copteacher wrote:

good for you for saying what you believe and be willing to make the trek.

I'm sure Fred Phelps feels the same way.

/just playing devil's advocate (I definitely don't support Phelps)

purple hayes wrote:

copteacher wrote:

good for you for saying what you believe and be willing to make the trek.

I'm sure Fred Phelps feels the same way.

/just playing devil's advocate (I definitely don't support Phelps)

There is a huge difference in assembling peaceably in front of a building and quite another in assembling loudly at someone's funeral. imho.

/note: did you know that wickipedia is being hacked? Phelp's bio is quite "updated" if you read it.

airehead wrote:

purple hayes wrote:

copteacher wrote:

good for you for saying what you believe and be willing to make the trek.

I'm sure Fred Phelps feels the same way.

/just playing devil's advocate (I definitely don't support Phelps)

I'm just wondering if Fred had a "fling" in his younger days and this is his way of suppressing it...

I no longer go to protests, even in my city, without letting my co-parent know what I'm doing. If I'm supposed to pick up the Goettes but the police decide otherwise, there has to be a plan B.

I don't believe there is any such thing as no-risk protest. There's low-risk, and there are steps you can take to modify your risk, but there's no risk-free mode.

Harrisburg and Protesting

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