KEITH OLBERMANN: Every time it looks like municipalities and police forces will calm down, think big picture, and let the Occupy movement either level off or grow of its own accord, they instead play right into the protest's publicity hands.
In our third story -- 29 occupiers were arrested in Nashville overnight -- doesn't sound like anything different. Even though the arrests themselves were relatively peaceful, the justification for the arrests has been severely called into question.
9:00 A.M. Thursday, the Office of the General Council of the Department of General Services informed the members of Occupy Nashville that a new curfew had been enacted for the park during the hours of 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. And eviction of the park could begin at 8:00 PM.
8:00 PM came and went without incident. But, at 3:00 AM, an announcement came from a police bullhorn that in ten minutes the police would be entering the park and any remaining occupiers would be arrested. Around two dozen protesters left without incident, another 29 remained. After ten minutes, 75 state troopers began arresting the remaining Occupiers. The Occupiers linked arms in an attempt to peacefully resist, but they were eventually pulled apart anyway and arrested, brought to Davidson County Jail. Once there, Night Court Commissioner Tom Nelson refused to sign the warrants, citing a lack of probable cause.
(Excerpt from video clip) TOM NELSON: I am not criticizing the highway patrol. But, you have no lawful basis to arrest or charge those people. For three weeks they've sat up there and protested under no admonition whatsoever that they're violating state policy in regard to camping out on Legislative Plaza, or that they're committing a crime. When the state issued its memorandum today imposing a curfew and changing the rules, right in the middle of a protest -- they can do that. But they have to give them adequate opportunity to comply with those rules.
OLBERMANN: Let's here it for Mr. Nelson and the Constitution. Instead of being released, the protesters were moved to the Sheriff's Office, where they were issued misdemeanor citations for criminal trespass. That is a Class C misdemeanor. They were released at 9:00 this morning, 24 hours after they were first informed of that new curfew.
Joining me now is one of the Occupy Nashville members arrested last night, eighth-grade teacher Adam Knight. Mr. Knight, thanks for your time tonight.
ADAM KNIGHT: Hey, thank you, Keith.
OLBERMANN: Were you surprised the police moved in. Did you think at least they'd give you 24 hours, or some time to adjust to this new curfew setup?
KNIGHT: Honestly, I was surprised that they didn't move in earlier. They said they were going give us until tomorrow -- that was their language. So, tomorrow to me was 12:00 midnight, so I presumed that they would move in at 12:01 and take us out, but they waited until 3:00.
OLBERMANN: The response that we just played -- at the office of the Night Court Commissioner -- what was -- has that been the highlight of this experience for you, to hear him say that?
KNIGHT: I mean, it's good to see that we have that -- that legal backing. I mean -- you know, he claimed that there was no legal basis for them to arrest or detain us. After he made that decision, they held us for another four hours in holding cells, and then they moved us into a parking garage. You know, so we were held there.
OLBERMANN: I said this, at the beginning of the segment. Every time it looks like the municipalities and the police, -- no matter where we're talking about, whether it's Nashville or Oakland -- every time it looks like they're settling down and appreciating what it is you're doing, what it is you're trying to do for them, in particular -- that somebody gets the bright idea that this thing can be stopped by force, or midnight raids or whatever you have.
Is that your sense, too -- that every step that somebody takes in government against you, in fact, works, not just to galvanize those who are involved in the protest, but also really bring it to the public's attention that the wrong end of the equation here is the government's end of it?
KNIGHT: Yeah, I think so. I mean -- I think galvanize is a good word. You know the poll in The Tennessean yesterday, asking whether people believe that Occupy Nashville should be evicted from Legislative Plaza -- you know, it was overwhelmingly against eviction. Eighty-four percent of people voting, you know, claimed that we should be allowed to stay there. So yeah, it does -- it galvanizes and it brings -- it brings more people in, because when governments start attacking the Constitution, you know, that's always going to bring people.
OLBERMANN: Isn't it shocking, to realize how many people think that the Constitution is meant to be interpreted as it is written for things, like, say -- protests -- and how many people don't realize that there's been any kind of erosion about this. And we're not just talking about liberals or members of Occupy, but just anybody in the political equation who just sort of hangs around the edges is suddenly discovering -- "Guess what's happened to your rights in the last 30 years."
KNIGHT: Oh right -- it's been beautiful just to -- just to even have that conversation started again and to have people really willing to stand up and come out. You know, we had people come out last night that hadn't been out before, you know, and we welcome them with open arms. They found out what they were about, and they're there to stand for something. And you know, just like I saw Michael Moore say earlier -- in the clip that you played -- they are not looking at "Dancing with the Stars" anymore. They see that -- you know, democracy has to be fought for and you have to stand up for your Constitutional rights and people are finally willing to wake up to that fact again.
OLBERMANN: I understand one of your own students was present last night during that arrest. How have your students and their parents reacted to your involvement in Occupy Nashville and the movement?
KNIGHT: I mean -- well, it's been heart warming to me. I told my students, before I went out there Thursday, that there was a good chance that I would be arrested, and I didn't want them to think I was doing something wrong if they heard that Mr. Knight has been arrested, you know.
And so, my student came out, and his parents were there and his father told me "Thank you for teaching my son to stand up for that what's right." That was fantastic to me. They stayed there right until the bitter end, you know. As we were sitting down, locking arms, the police started to come to get us -- I see all three of them as they're walking away saying, "Thank you." And that's beautiful.
I went -- after I got out this morning -- I went to school, and I saw my kids, you know, they were watching me on LiveStream last night -- a little too late, at 10:30, I told them "You need to be in bed and doing your homework" -- but, you know, I was met -- it was beautiful today. It was really fantastic to see those kids. Because -- I try tell them all the time -- that, in four years, they're going to be 18 and in this world. So, they kind of have to start realizing what's going on and they're not teaching that on the "Jersey Shore."
OLBERMANN: What -- what happens next to Occupy Nashville, relative to Legislative Plaza and the rest of the protest?
KNIGHT: Well, you know -- we're going to move forward, we're going to stay at Legislative Plaza. When we got released today, we marched right back up to the Legislative Plaza. And that's where we intend to stay. You know, Governor Bill Haslam has said that he will send out state troopers again tonight. And if he does that, we're prepared to be there.
OLBERMANN: Adam Knight, the 8th-grade teacher, member of Occupy Nashville. Indeed, teaching his students in a way that most teachers don't get a chance to, but perhaps should. Great thanks for your time, and for what you did. Take care.
KNIGHT: Hey, it’s my pleasure Keith, thank you.
