You fellows have handled this situation honorably. This was clearly a false arrest as well as an illegal siezure of your property. I am praying this turns out well for all of you in court and the following civil action.
I am a police officer and I always try to give the benefit of the doubt to officers, but in this case they had absolutely no right to seize your cameras. Law enforcement cannot confiscate cameras or make you turn them off because it may contain detrimental testimony about them. I am very interested in seeing how this rules in court.
With so many officers approaching you at once when you were standing outside the festival, it appears that they were on the lookout to deal with you on sight. It also makes me suspicious with the number of officers that approached your group that these officers were following orders from higher up.
I know in most states (certainly the one in which I work) misdemeanors have to take place in view of the arresting officer. An arrest cannot be made for someone just saying that your group was being belligerent. The officer has to physically see it and be able to testify to it in court as an eyewitness.
I as a Christian will never arrest anyone for the free peaceful expression of ideas. Officers as well as anyone else are protected by this under title VII (so they could have refused to arrest you if any claimed to be Christian). Keep preaching the Gospel. I for one have been thoroughly educated from your debates. Christ be with all of you in this ordeal.
***UPDATE*** Another police officer has sent us a comment, this time on our YouTube page. Gaston said:
It appears that the Dearborn police violated the 1st and 4th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They also may have failed to enforce the Michigan law if they did not arrest the security guards that assaulted you.
Just my observations....25 years as a cop.
6 comments:
apparently, you forgot to mention that the Federal Judge ruled that you could distribute the literature from a booth and that other Christians were doing this. Apparently the police simply had concerns of safety. Since you knew about this, why didn't you get a booth?
Vrajavala,
We weren't arrested for handing anything out. We were arrested for having a peaceful conversation on a street. Are you saying that we must get a booth (and pay the Arab Chamber of Commerce) in order to have a conversation? In America?
This is the U.S. I don't have to pay Muslims to share my beliefs. Jizyah anyone?
Let me also add this: A number of people have cited a case in which it was ruled that people could be required to rent a booth at a fairground to pass out literature. That's true. But if you read the ruling, it *expressly states* that this does _not_ prevent the people involved (I believe they were Hare Krishnas) from walking about the fairgrounds, mingling with the crowd, and engaging in conversations. The people running the fair are only allowed to require them to distribute literature, sell things, and (I think) solicit donations at a booth.
Vrajavala Says:
"Apparently the police simply had concerns of safety. Since you knew about this, why didn't you get a booth?"
Can you explain what "safety" issues there could have been?
If its muslims getting aggresive, well perhaps then the Muslims should have been expelled from the fair?
Did you know that before Jesus even went to the Cross, the crowds wanted to kill him several times for the words he spoke? I suggest you read Luke Ch 4.
So, basically my recommendation is to have a look here to learn a language analysis approach.
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