Librarian, 60, ticketed and removed from McCain event in Denver

[Dope Nose]

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9811687?source=rss_emailed

Protester outside McCain event ticketed
By Joey Bunch
The Denver Post

A 60-year-old librarian received a trespassing ticket today after a liberal group's protest outside a John McCain town hall meeting Monday.

Clutching a sign that read "McCain = Bush," Carol Kreck was removed from the atrium at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts by four Denver police officers.

Kreck, a former Denver Post reporter who works part-time as a librarian for an education think tank, said she was removed as she quizzed a police officer about whether he could deny her free speech "on city property" by taking away her sign, while McCain supporters wore buttons inside.

Jenny Schiavone, a spokeswoman for the performing arts center, said the venue is city-owned rental property, but is not legally defined as public property.

The liberal group ProgressNowAction had called before the event and asked about being inside the atrium, she said. The group was told it would have to rent space or use previously designated protest areas along the street, Schiavone said.

Michael Huttner, who organized the rally, said Progress NowAction was not told to rent space or stand anywhere.

A Youtube video of Kreck's removal, posted by Progress NowAction, shows a performing arts center security officer asking Kreck to put down her sign, noting he had asked her and other protestors to do so earlier. In the same video, a police officer tells her she can attend the event if she gets rid of the sign.

A McCain spokesman said no one, including McCain supporters, were allowed to carry signs.

Detective John White, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department, said officers acted as they would for any complaint on private property.

"Our officers received a signed complaint from a security guard at a private event and acted accordingly," he said.

Tom Kise, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, did not know about Kreck's ouster, but said the town hall-style meeting was open to supporters and opponents.

"All the campaign asked for is a respectful dialogue," Kise said.

At a speech at the University of Denver in May, war protesters interrupted McCain four times until they were removed from the event.

 

[DorkyFresh]

worse than the incident where Obama's team denied those muslim ladies a spot behind Obama during one of his speeches imo...



...sadly this won't get nearly as much coverage though.

 

[Kelly]

This really could have gone in the McCain thread.

 

[Dope Nose]

This really could have gone in the McCain thread.

I think the article has more to do with freedom of speech than it does with McCain or his political views. I seriously doubt that he had anything to do with her being ticketed or even with his own supporters being prohibited from carrying signs.

 

[jaguarr]

Obviously she was far too young to be at a McCain event without a Legal Guardian and was properly removed as a result.

jag

 

[SuBe]

Obviously she was far too young to be at a McCain event without a Legal Guardian and was properly removed as a result.

jag

:LMAO:

 

[Superman]

worse than the incident where Obama's team denied those muslim ladies a spot behind Obama during one of his speeches imo...



...sadly this won't get nearly as much coverage though.

There is a big difference between the two incidents though. Obama's people never had those muslim ladies ticketed, removed and threatened with arrest if they returned.

McCain's people did just that. Just like Bush did to anyone who protested him back in 04.

McBush strikes again.

 

[zanos]

I don't understand why McCain's team would ticket and remove this lady. If anything her sign appears to be a compliment to McCain. He is a huge supporter of Bush and his policies. If someone held up a sign that said Zanos = FDR I'd be flattered.

 

[Marx]

I think the article has more to do with freedom of speech than it does with McCain or his political views. I seriously doubt that he had anything to do with her being ticketed or even with his own supporters being prohibited from carrying signs.

I agree with Kel, this could have gone in the McCain thread regardless. That being said, was the protest peaceful? I have a hard time understanding why this happened. People protest campaign rallies all the time. And while this may have been a private town hall, if the protestors are in their designated spaces outside, I fail to see the problem.

 

[StorminNorman]

What people seem to overlook is this:
"Detective John White, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department, said officers acted as they would for any complaint on private property."

and

"Jenny Schiavone, a spokeswoman for the performing arts center, said the venue is city-owned rental property, but is not legally defined as public property."

This was instigated by the performing arts center - not the McCain campaign.

 

[Superman]

What people seem to overlook is this:
"Detective John White, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department, said officers acted as they would for any complaint on private property."

and

"Jenny Schiavone, a spokeswoman for the performing arts center, said the venue is city-owned rental property, but is not legally defined as public property."

This was instigated by the performing arts center - not the McCain campaign.

Nope, It wasn't performing arts center that had her removed. It was McCain's Secret Service that had her removed.

If you bother to watch the video you will see the arts center rep tell them that it was McCain's Secret Service that asked them to remove her.