Florida cop arrested for refusing to remove Guy Fawkes mask in Obamacare protest

[green73]

A Florida police officer who was protesting US President Obama’s newly implemented healthcare law has been arrested because he refused to take off a Guy Fawkes mask he was wearing at a demonstration.

Ericson Harrell, 39, was wearing a mask, a black cape, and holding an inverted American flag when police approached him in Plantation, Florida. Harrell told officers he was “protesting Obamacare” but the police report notes “he refused each time” when he “was asked several times to remove his mask and produce some form of identification or tell us his name” and taken into custody.

The mask is the same one popularized in the film “V for Vendetta” and then by the activist hacking collective known as Anonymous.

The police report does not mention whether other protesters were at the scene or if Harrell was holding his own individual rally. It does say Harrell was not willing to tell police who he was, “stating his anonymity was his cause, thus the mask…He stated the mask was used by movement groups around the world for protests.”

He only told responding officers “I’m a cop, I’m a cop” and was apprehended when one policeman found a .40 caliber pistol in his waistband.

Harrell, who was charged with obstruction of justice and with wearing a hood or mask on the street, was given a notice to appear in court and not jailed.

cont.
http://rt.com/usa/florida-cop-arrested-anonymous-mask-667/

[aGameOfThrones]

Apologists assemble.... Wait what?

[WM_in_MO]

Harrell, who was charged with obstruction of justice and with wearing a hood or mask on the street



you can't avoid our surveillance network, mundane

[tmg19103]

Wow. Against the law to wear a hood and mask on public streets? That strikes me as flagrantly unconstitutional. The garb the arrested cop was wearing falls under freedom of expression. Also, you have a constitutional right to petition the government anonymously. SCOTUS has ruled so in regards to anonymous blogging, and I'd expect wearing a mask to a public protest about Obamacare represents anonymously petitioning the government.

[dannno]

So you can wear a hoodie but not a hood? What?

[Schifference]

Well if anyone can beat these charges it is a cop.

[AFPVet]

As a badged thug, you can do all of the ominous activities you wish, but as soon as the badge comes off and you become a mundane who supports freedom, you become... a mundane.

[Philhelm]

Wow. Against the law to wear a hood and mask on public streets?

The cops should have arrested that dying kid who was allowed to be Batman for the day.

[idiom]

New rule. Always wear a Burka when protesting.

What are they going to do? Start arresting everyone wearing a Burka?

The optics of cops beating women in Burkas would be incredible.

[PaulConventionWV]

Harrell, who was charged with obstruction of justice and with wearing a hood or mask on the street



you can't avoid our surveillance network, mundane

Uh, he wasn't a mundane.

[DamianTV]

As a badged thug, you can do all of the ominous activities you wish, but as soon as the badge comes off and you become a mundane who supports freedom, you become... a mundane.

Maybe this is exactly what we need. Mundanes WITH Authority!

Badged Mundanes that support Liberty are going to behave a whole lot better than Badged Thugs. Badged Mundanes will also be more inclinded to Disobey the Unlawful Order of "shoot their dog", "shoot their kid", "eliminate the witness", and "you're above the Law". At least, I hope so.

[DamianTV]

(blah, another duplicate post)

[osan]

cont.
http://rt.com/usa/florida-cop-arrested-anonymous-mask-667/

Oh America... you just get better and better.

I'll be over hear while my head explodes, if anyone needs me.

[jmdrake]

Harrell, who was charged with obstruction of justice and with wearing a hood or mask on the street, was given a notice to appear in court and not jailed.

Wait...what? So cops in appropriately named "Plantation" Florida go around arresting kiddies on Halloween too?

[AFPVet]

Maybe this is exactly what we need. Mundanes WITH Authority!

Badged Mundanes that support Liberty are going to behave a whole lot better than Badged Thugs. Badged Mundanes will also be more inclined to Disobey the Unlawful Order of "shoot their dog", "shoot their kid", "eliminate the witness", and "you're above the Law". At least, I hope so.

Indeed :) Out of rep ammo, but +rep!

[Christian Liberty]

Uh, he wasn't a mundane.

I think the point is that he was acting as one and he didn't prove he was a cop.

[enoch150]

Harrell, who was charged with obstruction of justice and with wearing a hood or mask on the street, was given a notice to appear in court and not jailed.

Wait...what? So cops in appropriately named "Plantation" Florida go around arresting kiddies on Halloween too?

According to the article, the law applies to the entire state of Florida to anyone over the age of 16. It was apparently an attempt to crack down on the KKK since they couldn't actually arrest anyone just for being in the KKK.

[dillo]

New rule. Always wear a Burka when protesting.

What are they going to do? Start arresting everyone wearing a Burka?

The optics of cops beating women in Burkas would be incredible.

Id be worried about getting droned if I was wearing a burka

[fr33]

New rule. Always wear a Burka when protesting.

What are they going to do? Start arresting everyone wearing a Burka?

The optics of cops beating women in Burkas would be incredible.

In some places it would be beneficial for the cops. I can see it now. County sheriff campaigns for re-election citing how he ordered zero-tolerance tactics against muslim protestors.

[eduardo89]

According to the article, the law applies to the entire state of Florida to anyone over the age of 16. It was apparently an attempt to crack down on the KKK since they couldn't actually arrest anyone just for being in the KKK.

What a racist law, that's obviously racial targeting of white people. Why isn't the ACLU up in arms?!?!

[eduardo89]

In some places it would be beneficial for the cops. I can see it now. County sheriff campaigns for re-election citing how he ordered zero-tolerance tactics against muslim protestors.

Joe Arpaio should taze a guy wearing a luchador mask.