[Associated Content]
On Friday, October 12, 2007 at approximately 7:30 PM, three animal
rights activists were arrested by the Baltimore City Police during a
peaceful and legal demonstration at Salt Tavern (2127 E. Pratt Street,
Baltimore, Maryland). The activists, who are all members of the
Baltimore Animal Rights Coalition (BARC), have been holding weekly
demonstrations at Salt Tavern to protest the restaurant's practice of
serving foie gras, a so-called "delicacy" which is obtained by
force-feeding ducks & geese. These demonstrations involve nothing more
than group members standing on the edge of the sidewalk, holding signs
and passing out leaflets, typically for one to two hours once a week.
...
On October 5, 2007, two Baltimore police officers showed up at a Salt
Tavern protest, demanding that BARC produce a permit that said we were
allowed to protest. BARC was under the impression that no permit was
needed, but group members decided to look into the issue and agreed to
move across the street for the evening's demo until the permit issue
could be decided. Over the next week, numerous BARC members sprang
into action, consulting private attorneys, the Baltimore City Permit
Office, and even the Maryland office of the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU). Every qualified person we spoke with gave us the exact
same answer: you do not need a permit to engage in
constitutionally-protected free speech activities in the city of
Baltimore.
After spending a week researching the issue, and being told by
Baltimore's very own permit office that we did not need a permit, we
decided we were within our legal rights to protest in front of Salt
Tavern, so BARC returned to protest at 7:00 PM on Friday, October 12,
2007. Within minutes of arriving, the manager was on the phone with
the police, and a few minutes after that, the small city block was
swarming with squad cars and uniformed cops.
...
So why should anyone care about a few kids who got arrested in
Baltimore? Because this case is indicative of the harassment and
intimidation that activists routinely suffer at the hands of the
Baltimore police. I know that "animal rights" is a hot button issue,
and that not everyone sees eye-to-eye when it comes to foie gras. But
this country was founded on certain principles, one of which is the
right for anyone to express whatever opinion they want without
government oppression. People have been protesting from the very birth
of our nation-it is one of the very things that makes America "the
land of the free."
...
Regardless of how you feel about animal rights, free speech is an
issue that EVERYONE should care about. In Baltimore, it seems the
police are more interested in protecting corporate interests than they
are in protecting people's First Amendment rights. If you would like
to help the arrested activists, please contact Sergeant Stuart of the
Baltimore Police Department, who ordered the arrests that occurred
this evening. Let Sergeant Stuart know that the Baltimore police
shouldn't be arresting peaceful protesters, and ask him to hold his
department accountable for violations of individuals' free speech
rights. Sergeant Stuart (Badge #3981) of the Baltimore City Police can
be reached by calling (410) 396-2422.
For more information about BARC's campaign against foie gras in the
city of Baltimore, please visit http://www.DoNotEatHere.org
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full story:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/pop_print.shtml?content_type=article&content_type_id=413625
