Woods has an extended excerpt from Gibbons’ press conference today. Let me just highlight this:
Well, really that’s something you need to ask General Services. I’m aware generally of the reasons and that was public safety and health conditions on the Plaza. And I am aware of the fact that representatives of the protesters themselves approached the state earlier this week asking for some assistance addressing the problems they were facing. They were concerned about public safety. They were concerned about health concerns. The policy that’s in place I think is a very reasonable policy that will allow the protesters to continue to peacefully assemble under the right circumstances. What the Department of General Services was trying to do was strike a balance to ensure they had the right to peacefully protest but at the same time address the concerns they had as well as others over public safety and health concerns. [bold is mine]
Holy shit. This administration thinks that they get to determine the “right” circumstances for peaceful assembly? That makes my blood run cold.
Oh, and then get this nonsense.
Q: Commissioner, if you follow the letter of the policy, it says the Plaza is closed at 10 o’clock. Does that mean people who attend an event at TPAC can’t walk across the Plaza afterward?
Gibbons: Well, there’s also somewhere in here it says without specific authorization. I cannot speak for the Department of General Services on that but obviously they going to take the approach where if there is an event where they want to make an exception and authorize people to be there at 10:30 or 11, well I’m sure the Department of General Service will work with folks on that.
This is so typical. I love you, Tennessee, but the amount of people who think that everything they think is wrong should be illegal, but that they should get to make exceptions for the “right” kind of people is out of control.
But please, notice that the Governor is afraid of fifty people. Other Occupies have hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people. And our governor has to sneak up on fifty people in the dead of night.
But what’s worse than sneaking up on fifty people in the middle of the night is stripping everyone in the state of their constitutional right to peaceably assemble.
That hurts everyone.
Tiny Cat Pants 
And people rolled their eyes when I started referring to the governor as Il Duce.
Just like they get to determine what “shall not be infringed” means. No big deal.
Can’t falsely yell “FIre!” in a crowded theatre, can’t protest on state property without a permit.
What’s the difference?
But … but … Haslam was the reasonable Republican! The “moderate”! Remember? Not the itchy-twitchy-foamy-mouthed Zach Wamp or the “gonna git mah boots on” Rick Perry wannabe, Ron Ramsey. Or the nutter going on about gold-fringed flags.
Remember when Haslam was the moderate choice?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha SUCKAZ!
What’s the difference?
Seriously, Jim? You don’t know?
You don’t know the difference between intentionally causing a panic that can kill and injure people just for shits and giggles, and suppressing dissent?
Truly that’s the most moronic false equivalency I’ve seen in a long time. Well, maybe since the gun nutz came over to my place and equated a ban on invasive elaeagnus with restrictions on where you can take guns. That was a cute one too.
{ facepalm }
@Jim–
The “difference” is that falsely yelling “fire” in a crowded theatre is an action designed specifically to cause harm.
A peaceful assembly in protest of anything (even a protest I find vague and indecisive like OWS/ON) is the right of the citizenry, one that we have ALWAYS reserved in the face of any governmental entity. Such assemblies are not designed to bring about the injury or death of other people.
All the folks in OWS/ON are just looking a bit silly while taking up space on public property where it is annoying for law makers to look at. Asking them to “show papers” as proof of their right to assemble is both ridiculous and sickening.
Oh good grief, Beale.
How many restrictions on our inherent rights have already been prolmulgated by our respective governments? How many are over reaches? Seems a little late in our post New London, Patriot Act, imperial Executive Wars era.
Like I alluded before, I saw few on the left protesting the “public speech tax” passed by the state legislature. Oh wait, my mistake, that was merely a 2nd Amendment tax. Guess we should have raised a stink then. Probably too late to worry about a little speech regulation…
If I knew what the hell you were talking about, Jim, I’d come up with a cogent response. What public speech tax?
@Min, I’m guessing he’s referring to some kind of gun regulation. First rule of being a gun nut: ANY AND ALL disucssions are about guns.
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