

NASA Scientist Hansen Arrested at Tar Sands Protest - miraj
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/nasa-scientist-hansen-arrested-at-tar-sands-protest-a-grim-sign-of-the-times-20110831

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_delirium
What I find most problematic is how frequently peaceful protestors are being
arrested. As far as I can tell, he wasn't lobbing Molotovs at the White House,
trying to climb a fence, or otherwise posing the sort of threat that would
justify interfering with a peaceful protest. But courts appear to have given
large leeway to police to put "time and place" restrictions on protestors,
arresting them for e.g. picketing on a sidewalk that falls outside specially
approved "free speech zones".

~~~
bugsy
Yes, this is disturbing. Contrary to some claims, this was not an off limits
area. It was on the Pennsylvania Avenue (which is closed to vehicle traffic
but not people here) and is a public area. It is extremely wide and the
protestors were not blocking anyone.

~~~
_delirium
Yeah, I think that's what bugged me (I looked for some photos, though
admittedly I may not have seen all of them). I realize this wasn't a free-
speech protest per-se, but a civil-disobedience one with an environmentalist
goal. But even with purposeful civil disobedience, you have to commit some
actual crime to get arrested, and it boggles my mind that _this_ can be a
crime in the US. They were just sitting peacefully on the sidewalk, not even
obstructing pedestrian traffic!

I guess I have a higher bar for what kind of disturbance is required to arrest
someone in a free country--- violence, definitely; blocking traffic, ok; but
sitting on a sidewalk with a sign, well, no.

------
ddw
Buried the lede: "If he chooses the dirty needle it is game over [for the
earth's climate]..."

