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Feb. 2nd, 2006 07:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysobellePolice apologize, drop charge against Sheehan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Capitol Police dropped a charge of unlawful conduct against anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan Wednesday and offered apologies to her as well as a congressman's wife after they were ejected from President Bush's State of the Union address for wearing T-shirts with war messages.
Police removed Sheehan and Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Fla., from the visitors gallery Tuesday night. Sheehan was taken away in handcuffs before Bush's arrival at the Capitol and charged with a misdemeanor, while Young was not arrested.
Capitol Police did not explain why Sheehan was arrested and Young was not. However the unlawful conduct charge against Sheehan was being dropped, according to Deputy House Sergeant of Arms Kerri Hanley. And in a private meeting Wednesday, Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer apologized and planned to issue a statement, Rep. Thomas told reporters.
"They were operating under the misguided impression that the T-shirt was not allowed," Hanley said Wednesday. "The fact that she (Sheehan) was wearing a T-shirt is not enough reason to be asked to leave the gallery, or be removed from the gallery, or be arrested."
A foreign-born American citizen who was the guest of Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., also was taken by police from the gallery just above the House floor, Hastings said Wednesday.
The congressman met with Gainer and said he also requested a meeting with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., about the incident.
"I'd like to find out more information," Hastings said in an interview, identifying the man only as being from Broward County in Florida. "He is a constituent of mine. I invited him proudly."
Sheehan's T-shirt made reference to the number of soldiers killed in Iraq: "2245 Dead. How many more?" Capitol Police charged her with a misdemeanor for violating the District of Columbia's code against unlawful or disruptive conduct on any part of the Capitol grounds, a law enforcement official said. She was released from custody and flew home Wednesday to Los Angeles.
Young's shirt had just the opposite message: "Support the Troops — Defending Our Freedom."
The two women appeared to have offended tradition as much as the law, according to several law enforcement and congressional officials. By custom, the annual address is to be a dignified affair in which the president reports on the state of the nation. Guests in the gallery who wear shirts deemed political in nature have, in past years, been asked to change or cover them up.
Generally, the House's sergeant at arms sets out rules at the House speaker's direction. The Capitol Police enforce them and the Secret Service evaluates any threat to the president.
Rules dealing mainly with what people can bring and telling them to refrain from reading, writing, smoking, eating, drinking, applauding or taking photographs are outlined on the back of gallery passes given to tourists every day.
However, State of the Union guests don't receive any guidelines, Hanley said. "You would assume that if you were coming to an event like the State of the Union address you would be dressed in appropriate attire," she said.
Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, had been invited to the speech and given a ticket by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.
Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said police warned Sheehan that displays such as her T-shirt were not allowed.
Sheehan said she had one arm out of her coat when an officer yelled, "Protester." She said she intended to file a First Amendment lawsuit over the episode.
Young was removed from the gallery during Bush's address and told she was being treated the same as Sheehan.
Her husband was angry about the way she was treated.
"Because she had on a shirt that someone didn't like that said support our troops, she was kicked out of this gallery," Young said on the House floor Wednesday, holding up the gray shirt.
"Shame, shame," he scolded.
Mrs. Young was sitting about six rows from first lady Laura Bush when she was asked to leave. She argued with police in the hallway outside the House chamber.
"They said I was protesting," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "I said, 'Read my shirt, it is not a protest.' They said, 'We consider that a protest.' I said, 'Then you are an idiot.'"
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-01-sheehan-charges_x.htm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Capitol Police dropped a charge of unlawful conduct against anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan Wednesday and offered apologies to her as well as a congressman's wife after they were ejected from President Bush's State of the Union address for wearing T-shirts with war messages.
Police removed Sheehan and Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Fla., from the visitors gallery Tuesday night. Sheehan was taken away in handcuffs before Bush's arrival at the Capitol and charged with a misdemeanor, while Young was not arrested.
Capitol Police did not explain why Sheehan was arrested and Young was not. However the unlawful conduct charge against Sheehan was being dropped, according to Deputy House Sergeant of Arms Kerri Hanley. And in a private meeting Wednesday, Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer apologized and planned to issue a statement, Rep. Thomas told reporters.
"They were operating under the misguided impression that the T-shirt was not allowed," Hanley said Wednesday. "The fact that she (Sheehan) was wearing a T-shirt is not enough reason to be asked to leave the gallery, or be removed from the gallery, or be arrested."
A foreign-born American citizen who was the guest of Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., also was taken by police from the gallery just above the House floor, Hastings said Wednesday.
The congressman met with Gainer and said he also requested a meeting with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., about the incident.
"I'd like to find out more information," Hastings said in an interview, identifying the man only as being from Broward County in Florida. "He is a constituent of mine. I invited him proudly."
Sheehan's T-shirt made reference to the number of soldiers killed in Iraq: "2245 Dead. How many more?" Capitol Police charged her with a misdemeanor for violating the District of Columbia's code against unlawful or disruptive conduct on any part of the Capitol grounds, a law enforcement official said. She was released from custody and flew home Wednesday to Los Angeles.
Young's shirt had just the opposite message: "Support the Troops — Defending Our Freedom."
The two women appeared to have offended tradition as much as the law, according to several law enforcement and congressional officials. By custom, the annual address is to be a dignified affair in which the president reports on the state of the nation. Guests in the gallery who wear shirts deemed political in nature have, in past years, been asked to change or cover them up.
Generally, the House's sergeant at arms sets out rules at the House speaker's direction. The Capitol Police enforce them and the Secret Service evaluates any threat to the president.
Rules dealing mainly with what people can bring and telling them to refrain from reading, writing, smoking, eating, drinking, applauding or taking photographs are outlined on the back of gallery passes given to tourists every day.
However, State of the Union guests don't receive any guidelines, Hanley said. "You would assume that if you were coming to an event like the State of the Union address you would be dressed in appropriate attire," she said.
Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, had been invited to the speech and given a ticket by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.
Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said police warned Sheehan that displays such as her T-shirt were not allowed.
Sheehan said she had one arm out of her coat when an officer yelled, "Protester." She said she intended to file a First Amendment lawsuit over the episode.
Young was removed from the gallery during Bush's address and told she was being treated the same as Sheehan.
Her husband was angry about the way she was treated.
"Because she had on a shirt that someone didn't like that said support our troops, she was kicked out of this gallery," Young said on the House floor Wednesday, holding up the gray shirt.
"Shame, shame," he scolded.
Mrs. Young was sitting about six rows from first lady Laura Bush when she was asked to leave. She argued with police in the hallway outside the House chamber.
"They said I was protesting," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "I said, 'Read my shirt, it is not a protest.' They said, 'We consider that a protest.' I said, 'Then you are an idiot.'"
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-01-sheehan-charges_x.htm
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 03:07 pm (UTC)The capitol police answer not to the president but instead to congress themselves. These guys were upholding laws set forth a long long time ago......in a galaxy far far away :-)
And wearing a t-shirt with a slogan is in fact a message. And besides WHO WEARS A T-SHIRT TO THE STATE OF THE UNION!
sheesh
these two jerks were looking for the attention
The leftist weirdo from CA was looking to get arrested so she could be a martyr for the cause and attack the republicans
the righty bozo only did it to counteract what the CA wack job was doing.
The whole thing was planned out ahead of time.
COme on Nikki you watch West Wing....you know how these people think. Republicans needed someone to counteract the t-shirt thing so noone would complain the democrats are being unfairly treated.
its too much of a coincidence to be anything but a setup.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 03:15 pm (UTC)And if you don't think this all-pervasive repression is symptomatic of our current regime from the very top on down, you're blind.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 04:40 pm (UTC)Somehow, the apology just doesn't mate me feel a whole lot better.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 05:03 pm (UTC)Plus the fact that I'm seeing a lot of negative reaction to the emptiness of the speech, which I pointedly didn't watch. Of course, I have to take it with a grain of salt, as I live in a very Dem city. Though Google News hasn't seemed much happier.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 08:29 pm (UTC)I see EXACTLY what you do. However I also mentally highlight some things rather than others. It is strictly against the law to protest on capitol hill. That rule is enforced by the capitol police force which is run by congress not the president.
The republican party didnt throw down its iron hand of oppression to stifle the resistance. There was no conglomoration of the new world order meeting in darkened hallways. If anything bush's PR people got ahold of the plan via word of mouth and tipped off the capitol police and than planted their own little protester to get sweeped up and taken off for a little rough and tumble in a back alley so the public didnt scream about "oh if it was a supporter of bushes they would have been left alone" type rhetoric.
From Dictionary dot com
Protest
A formal declaration of disapproval or objection issued by a concerned person, group, or organization.
An individual or collective gesture or display of disapproval
Wearing a t-shirt to the state of the union while tacky and unrefined is far from being a statement....BUT when that t-shirt has undertones and subresive connections to several anti-republican or even PRO-republican meanings it shows support for one of the two sides to the coin.
Now Nikki you KNOW me
you know i own firearms you know im all about shooting my mouth off.
you know im all about free speech even when it CURDLES my blood.
BUT i also know there is a time and place for free speech and certain places are simply wrong, and in some cases against the law.
On capitol hill your not allowed to protest. pure and simple
the cops arrestes these two people for protesting
i dont see why so many people are screaming about trampled rights.
and if you are outraged call your senator or congressman and complain to them.
Bush had nothing to do with this travesty....well actually let me rephrase that he had nothing to do with the incident BEFORE the travesty...I for one listened to the State of the union.
I fear.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 08:37 pm (UTC):-P
no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-03 01:08 pm (UTC)So do i
;-)