Forum/Discussions

by JBarger ~

Saturday, 12:30 a.m. Once again, Gov. Haslam decided to save money by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to arrest 26 peaceful, law abiding citizens who were exercising their First Amendment rights in Legislative Plaza Friday. Over 100 state troupers and Homeland Security officers with no visible badge numbers,  driving state police cars and special vehicles,lined the streets around the Plaza to overwhelm a nonviolent group ofpeople protesting government corruption brought about by undue corporate influence.
Magistrate Tom Nelson dismissed the charges stating that he could "find no authority anywhere for anyone to authorize a curfew any where on Legislative Plaza."
A growing number of protesters including most of the 29 arrested inthe 3:00 a.m. raid on Friday, attended a General Assembly on the Plaza that continued through the 10 p.m. curfew.
The arrests came after a week of police crack downs around the countryon Occupy Wall Street activists, who have been protesting economicinequality, social in justice, and the over spending on military adventures around the world.
Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran was seriously injured during a protest clash with police Tuesday night in Oakland, was again remembered at the Nashville Occupation. A protester reported that Olsen was in "fair but stable condition," and while he was still having difficulty speaking and moving, was expected to have a complete recovery in time.
While Homeland Security was instigating arrests from Occupations around the nation, in Nashville, more than 300 people came to Friday evening's meeting to discuss the first round of arrests and future plans. Food distribution was set up on the Plaza and bedding and tentswere brought in to continue occupation for another night.
After the curfew passed there were no arrests, no evidence of state troupers. When the show, "Wicked" let out from TPAC,  patrons safelywalked through the plaza to their cars without being arrested for violating the restrictions.
AP reports that "once the theater traffic cleared, dozens of state troopers descended on the plaza and began arresting protesters and a journalist for the Nashville Scene, an alternative weekly newspaper."
Occupy Nashville protesters remained in the area until 2:00 a.m. while a contingent of supporters marched to the jail to call for the release of the arrested demonstrators."The occupation has only begun and will continue until our public servants realize that the overwhelming majority of the people must be heard and their interests for 'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' is considered as required by the Constitutions of Tennessee and the Nation." [name a protester for quote]
Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons said, "We don't have the resources to go out and in effect babysit protesters 24-7..."
The protesters aver that they never asked for any extra attention, but that the regular one patrol officer who was removed from the area this Wednesday, be returned to duty. It was only after this regular presence was removed from the plaza that the violence and other problems became difficult for civilian solution.
The question remains, is it fiscally responsible to remove one regular patrol and replace it with the expense to bring troupers from all around the state, house them in hotels, and bring in expensive gas guzzling SUV's to arrest peaceful citizens practicing their First Amendment rights.