UFB : Capitol Police told to stand down and let protesters deface the Capitol

[AK-74me]

http://thehill.com/thehill/export/Th...rotesters.html

Anti-war protesters spray paint Capitol building
By Jackie Kucinich

Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of the west front steps of the United States Capitol building after police were ordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources told The Hill.

According to the sources, police officers were livid when they were told to fall back by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Phillip Morse and Deputy Chief Daniel Nichols. "They were the commanders on the scene," one source said,who requested anonymity. "It was disgusting."

After police ceded the stairs, located on the lower west fron tof the Capitol, the building was locked down, the source added.

A second source who witnessed the incident said that the police had the crowd stopped at Third Street, but were told to bring the police line in front of the Capitol.

Approximately 300 protesters were allowed to take the steps and began to spray paint "anarchist symbols" and phrase such as "Our capitol building" and "you can’t stop us" around the area, the source said.

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 ofwhom 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 … at the end of the day, both occurred without injury to protestors or officers."

Yet, the sources who talked to The Hill were furious that protesters were not stopped before reaching the Capitol.

"To get that close to the Capitol building, that is ridiculous," the second source said. "[Police] were told not to arrest anyone."

The second source added that police had to stand by and watch as protesters posed in front of their graffiti.

Tens of thousands of people rallied on the Mall and the Capitol complex Saturday in protest of the increased troop deployments and the war in Iraq.

[Vince]

This is such a crock of ####. I don't believe they were actually ordered to pull back and let those POS's do that to my Capitol building.

Approximately 300 protesters were allowed to take the steps andbegan to spray paint "anarchist symbols" and phrase such as "Ourcapitol building" and "you can’t stop us" around the area, thesource said.

Well wait a minute. It's my Capitol building also and I don't want you spray painting it with your BS.

I didn't realize that defacing government property was part of the First Amendment.

[Dutch6]

Originally Posted by alucard

I didn't realize that defacing government property was part of the First Amendment.

Maybe we should ask JPC.

[Pushrod]

I don't see any problem with letting a group of protesters go to the Capitol to verbally protest something, that is within their rights. As soon as someone started defacing public property by spraypainting, they should have been arrested!!

[bresamil (Premo)]

Who has the law book? I think that's a criminal offense.

[Bustem' Down]

Anarchist symbols? Those people wouldn't be able to survive in an Anarchy. Anyways, anarchy leads to feudalism naturally so they would be screwed in the end.

[cattitude (Premo)]

U F B

[PsyOps]

The precedence has now been set that all of us can go to any government building, in DC, and spray paint it. If you are arrested all you have to do is cite this incident.

You think???????

[vraiblonde]

According to the sources, police officers were livid when they were told to fall back by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Phillip Morse and Deputy Chief Daniel Nichols.

I'll bet. Cops typically don't like standing by and watching someone commit a crime. However, they'll get used to it in time - and *then* where will we be?