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Librarian with "Bush=McCain" sign kicked out of public event and ticketed

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A 60-year-old librarian received a trespassing ticket today after a liberal group's protest outside a John McCain town hall meeting Monday.

Clutching a sign that read "McCain = Bush," Carol Kreck was removed from the atrium at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts by four Denver police officers.

Kreck, a former Denver Post reporter who works part-time as a librarian for an education think tank, said she was removed as she quizzed a police officer about whether he could deny her free speech "on city property" by taking away her sign, while McCain supporters wore buttons inside.

Jenny Schiavone, a spokeswoman for the performing arts center, said the venue is city-owned rental property, but is not legally defined as public property.

The liberal group ProgressNowAction had called before the event and asked about being inside the atrium, she said. The group was told it would have to rent space or use previously designated protest areas along the street, Schiavone said.

Michael Huttner, who organized the rally, said Progress NowAction was not told to rent space or stand anywhere.

A Youtube video of Kreck's removal, posted by Progress NowAction, shows a performing arts center security officer asking Kreck to put down her sign, noting he had asked her and other protestors to do so earlier. In the same video, a police officer tells her she can attend the event if she gets rid of the sign.

A McCain spokesman said no one, including McCain supporters, were allowed to carry signs.

Detective John White, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department, said officers acted as they would for any complaint on private property.

"Our officers received a signed complaint from a security guard at a private event and acted accordingly," he said.

Tom Kise, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, did not know about Kreck's ouster, but said the town hall-style meeting was open to supporters and opponents.

"All the campaign asked for is a respectful dialogue," Kise said.

At a speech at the University of Denver in May, war protesters interrupted McCain four times until they were removed from the event.
Moopak

33 responses // Librarian with "Bush=McCain" sign kicked out of public event and ticketed

  • Lesson of the story is: Instead of holding a sign to protest, wear a shirt with your protest message.

    But she's right, why would that offend republicans?
    Moopak
  • http://current.com/items/89082098_john_mccain_kicks_lib...
    You can watch a video of the incident here, courtesy of Current user ESKCSG:
    recommended by  jubal, jade_azul16
    mattbrawn
    2 responses to this
  • Hey Moopak, here's a handy little FAQ of sorts that explains how to post videos.

    Feel free to email me if you have any more questions.

    Thanks,

    -Ben
    bdorries@current.com

    http://current.com/items/89055254_so_you_wanna_be_a_hom...
    BenDorries
    2 responses to this
  • I know what my next stencil design is going to be!!

    Thanks Carol Kreck!
    Midnight_DevilX
  • Something just doesn't seem right about what happens in this video. She was voicing her opinion in a peaceful way, yet the police were called to have her escorted off the property and fined. I'd like the find out what the police charged her with and what law they actually used to fine her.

    Let's see if this same treatment occurs when the Republicans protest the DNC National Convention later this summer.
    brycepatingre
    1 response to this
  • I'm glad she stood up for what she believes in!
    shroomfairy
  • What is 'free speech' nowadays, anyway?
    AutifK
    2 responses to this
  • Ooooooo, she's a CUTIE!!! lol You go, girl!!!!
    shelchak
  • And this goes to show that people know they'll get in trouble and do things anyway in hopes of making their already preconceived point more valid.

    Lame.

    Getting upset on how you are treated after you knowingly antagonize someone no matter how peaceful is so stupid. I don't think her intent was to inform as much as to annoy and that is a problem. Because that means she doesn't care about informing as much as she does in harming.
    J_Jammer
    3 responses to this
  • Unless the secret service changed their rules, this lady was not a threat to McCain. In the past signs were prohibited if they had a wooden stick. Signs could be used if a card board tube were put in place. This woman's sign did not have either a stick or a tube.

    I searched for rules of current speeches and could not find any.
    uroborus8
    1 response to this
  • If generation x y and z are not going to pick up the torch, it's going to be left up to us old Hippies. You go girl. Typical McSame. Town hall meeting my sweet bippy.
    bluestranger
  • Whatever happened to FREEDOM OF SPEECH?

    I don't care if her message wasn't welcome there... escort her to the door and she can protest on the street, not down the block in a "Free Speech Zone". The issue is that we are having the right to peacefully protest taken away. A person should be allowed to protest anything, anywhere as long as you aren't being violent, destroying property, etc.

    What it comes down to is these fascist assholes don't want anyone making their voice heard and will do anything to stop it.

    These politicians are not representing us, they don't know us as citizens, and have no care for what we have to say. They only pander to corporate agenda's... They have no clue what a gallon of gas costs, couldn't tell you the average rent or wages earned in the U.S., they just have no clue, nor do they care.
    Ayahuasca2012
  • Private affair.

    I think that people shouldn't protest at a few things.

    One. Funeral. Religious retards should be anywhere within eyesight of a family that lost a son who happened to be a well known homosexual. The same with haters of certain political persons. This is not the time nor the place to dictate how horribly right you are about your views. This is the time for the family.

    Two. Weddings. This is also stupid. I don't care if they are two men marrying. Three women marrying. A man marrying four women. A man marrying a girl with the consent of the parents. Or a daughter of a well known President who people think is a murdering meany head. Doesn't matter. It's a wedding and it's their time and their 'happy' time not the time for you're little whine fest of how right you have to be every second of your negative life.

    Private ventures, whether they are political or satirical or homosexual or Nazi love....no one should go in and "OMG I'm so only here to silently protest" because you're not wanted. I don't think people would be happy that a "Burn in hell you stupid F**S" shirt was worn by a smiling male as he sat at a GLBT meeting at a school. Would any of you like that? Raise your hand and protect his right to what was it? Peacefully protest.

    I would find that to be rude and I wouldn't mind them telling him he had to get out of their public (by the way) meeting.

    Stop with this chicken little thinking that our rights are being torn away because of this huge set up. They set this up to look bad and then they have all the little grazers eating it up.

    What happened to free thinking? Or is it bought because the political party in question isn't yours?
    J_Jammer
    3 responses to this
  • The person in the Pea costume was asked to leave also, about an hr. before the event started. Even the police dont want to be responsible for this and point out that they were ordered by McCains officials to remove those people.
    They were not causing any problems and were not really 'protesting'. But some people were told to get rid of their signs so they did, kinda sux but ok. For a presidential candidate to let this happen right before election, shows how some people just dont matter to the McCain crew.
    I miss it when a leader would just put up with some protesters being annoying in the name of freedom and our rights they talk about so often.
    Moopak
  • Um... Freedom of Speech much!
    huffamoose2k
  • There goes the First Ammendment- I hope this Librarian gets an Attorney and takes this to the Supreme Court.
    aswift1
  • I hope she fights it and wins. We need free speech now more than ever.
    Robroy1
  • Wow, what a threat. An over-weight little old lady librarian. WELL, this is what fascists do. Similar, Nazi Germany, they threaten people who disagree politically. Colorado is a RED state, thus Bush cronies have infected the judicial system and will not protect the constitution which is in the oath they took to get in office. They must have taken a new oath. " I swear to protect Bushism and crony-ism so help me almighty dollar the god corporate fascism.
    tomofnorthcal
  • well put jammer, ! Too bad most people don't care about simple public manners these days. I think that was her point, to be a nuisance and as you can see, that type behavior is widely applauded these days.
    anjela3
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teJd1zaxeO8
    The truth hurts, folks.
    jdimino

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