Protestors allowed to deface the Capitol building?

[nebula]

What?!

January 31, 2007

War protesters allowed to spray paint the U.S. Capitol

Capitol Chief of Police tell officers not to arrest anyone

During last Saturday's Washington rally protesting the war in Iraq, hundreds of anti-war protesters were allowed to desecrate government property by spray painting the Capitol with anarchist symbols. I did not see or hear any report of this in any of the mainline media outlets!

Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse ordered his officers to fall back and allow the protesters to exercise what he called "their First Amendment rights" to spray paint the Capitol steps with graffiti. Defending his actions, Morse said, "The graffiti was easily removed by the staff. It is our duty and responsibility to protect the Capitol complex, while allowing the public to exercise their freedom of speech." He even ordered his officers not to arrest anyone!

The war protesters were given access and leniency to deface government property. According to Family Research Council, public employees had to come in on their day off, at taxpayers' expense, to clean up the mess the protesters left behind.

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Comments on this issue by Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado:

January 29th, 2007

ALLARD REQUESTS MEETING WITH CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF MORSE OVER PROTESTER VANDALISM OF U.S. CAPITOL

Wants to Know Why Capitol Police Stood By and Watched Protesters Deface the Capitol

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), ranking member of the Legislative Branch subcommittee to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, today sent a letter to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse requesting a meeting to find out whether Capitol Police were given specific guidance about interfering with anti-war protesters who used spray paint on part of the west front steps of the U.S. Capitol building in front of the Capitol Police.

[forrestkc]

Here is an excert from an article from The Hill, on it:

Morse responded to these claims in an e-mail Sunday afternoon explaining that the protesters were seeking confrontation with the police.

"While there were minor instances of spray painting of pavement by a splinter group of Anarchists who were seeking a confrontation with the police, their attempts to breach into secure areas and rush the doors of the Capitol were thwarted," Morse said. "The graffiti was easily removed by the dedicated [Architect of the Capitol] staff, some of whom responded on their day off to quickly clean the area."

He added, "It is the USCP's duty and responsibility to protect the Capitol complex, staff and public while allowing the public to exercise their First Amendment rights

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

What if not having another Kent State meant them actually entering the Capital building?

How about the White House property?

Justifying this despicable action will only bring more like it.

Peace,

Dave

[forrestkc]

Grace to you,

What if not having another Kent State meant them actually entering the Capital building?

How about the White House property?

Justifying this despicable action will only bring more like it.

Peace,

Dave

I am not saying that I fully agree with it. I am saying that it was obviously a very dicey situation, and the Capital Police did what they thought best at the time. They had some radical anarchists who were doing that in an obvious attempt to provoke a violent confrontation.

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

By virtue of the fact that these were anarchists. The argument holds no water. They are naturally opposed to Moral order in society. If we can begin to justify their actions. We can also begin to understand the evil nature of the Islamic Jihadists bent on our destruction.

This is a clear case of dereliction of Duty on the part of the Chief and even his Officers felt the same way.

Peace,

Dave

[forrestkc]

Grace to you,

By virtue of the fact that these were anarchists. The argument holds no water. They are naturally opposed to Moral order in society. If we can begin to justify their actions. We can also begin to understand the evil nature of the Islamic Jihadists bent on our destruction.

This is a clear case of dereliction of Duty on the part of the Chief and even his Officers felt the same way.

Peace,

Dave

On balance, now that I have thought about it, I agree with you.

[nebula]

Thank-you for showing the other side to the story, forrest!

Though I am still troubled by this part of the OP:

"I did not see or hear any report of this in any of the mainline media outlets!"

If a group of abortion protesters had done this, I am sure it would have made headline news.

[chapmac]

Thank-you for showing the other side to the story, forrest!

Though I am still troubled by this part of the OP:

\"I did not see or hear any report of this in any of the mainline media outlets!\"

If a group of abortion protesters had done this, I am sure it would have made headline news.

it was a disgraceful act

defacing any property that isnt your own shows poor character

keith olberman on msnbc blasted the act as a disgusting disply

anderson cooper on cnn also blasted them

so it was covered on major news

had it been abortion protesters i imagine several people here would have called them heros and praised the act

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

No, actually I would have called it a despicable act as well.

Peace,

Dave

[ted]

The cops should have spray painted the offenders on the spot and asked if they liked it.

t.