Flag Ban at the Raleigh Tea Party
If you do not live in Raleigh, you may not know that there are special police forces with their own jurisdiction and regulations. In addition to the Raleigh police, State police and sheriff, we have Capitol and General Assembly police. The Capitol police patrol state property such as the Capitol Building where we are having our Tea Party on April 15th. This in itself is another long story but the point is that this property is under the control of the Office of the Governor who has a distinctly anti-patriotic view of our activities.
To schedule an event, you have to apply for a permit and agree to follow the regulations during the proceedings: many of which are new. Rule number 16 is shown below:
16. To ensure the safety and protection of demonstration participants and/or the public at-large; signs, banners, posters and other similar displays may not be affixed to, or supported by any metal, wood or plastic posts or other supportive devices constructed of metal, wood or plastic.
This means that we are not allowed to fly any flag including the stars and stripes at the Tea Party at the Capitol. The rule has been verified and the blame has been passed to Tony Jordan and the Chief Hunter.
The rule was written by Tony Jordan, Director of Facility Management in consultation with State Capitol Police to protect participates and citizens. State Capitol Police handles security on state property so questions on violations should be directed to Chief Hunter, State Capitol Police 919-733-4646. The coordination with Raleigh Police Department if needed would be handled by Chief Hunter. The penalty for violation is revocation of the permit.
If flags are affixed to, or supported by any metal, wood or plastic posts or other supportive devices constructed of metal, wood or plastic they would not be allowed. Small hand held flags on a wooden or plastic standard 1/8” in diameter & 12” in length would be allowed. Requests for events that will include the color guard as part of the event will be reviewed on a case by case basis. An exception request should be presented in writing and detail the request for review.
Violation of this rule will lead to revocation of your permit, protesters will be asked to leave and arrested if they refuse for trespassing on State owned land. Also note, you need a special exception to have a color guard as part of your event.
Tell us how you feel about this rule 16: send an email to Flagban@NCFreedom.us and we will post the responses on NCFreedom.us
I will be flying my usual Washington Cruiser flag on Thursday on a flag pole. I strongly encourage everyone to bring an American flag on a flag pole and break the beginning of our bonds of tyranny by our Governor. My definition of an American flag: a flag under which any American has died to give or ensure our freedom. If I have to get arrested for flying a flag of freedom, it is a very small price to pay.
To anyone who suggests that we comply with this request so that we can show that Tea Partiers are law abiding citizens, the words of Sam Adams should be remembered:
“If ye love wealth better than liberty,
the tranquility of servitude
better than the animating contest of freedom,
go home from us in peace.
We ask not your counsels or your arms.
Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.
May your chains set lightly upon you,
and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”
In the tradition of John Hancock,
David DeGerolamo
What is the right and proper way of temporairily replacing these illegal communists until we can have special elections – NOW! Do you realize even if we can combat the election fraud well enough to take back the House and Senate in Nov. They still have 9 months (Jan.) to finish off our country? Will there be anything left to save by Jan.?
you are one of the very few that know the right way to do this bravo to you sir
For the safety of persons present maybe we should ban all muscle bound large men as well. They could be violent. We should limit gatherings to children, small boned women and libs. Seriously, if we accept this what's next? Freedom to assemble – because that could end up in violence. Freedom of speech – because that might incite violence. I've been to plenty of Tea Parties and I have yet to whack anyone.
A concealed carry permit is not vaild "In areas of assemblies, parades, funerals, or demonstrations" and is also not valid "in any space occupied by state or federal employees"
http://www.ncdoj.com/About-DOJ/Law-Enforcement-Tr...
What about fiberglass, bamboo, carbon-fiber, or swimming-pool noodles? Or even glass, but that's a bad idea. We could hang flags, posters, and banners fron trees using hemp ropes. Let's see some overpaid bureacrat try yo ban all of those!
PART FOUR
I also suggest the we contact the CHIEF law enforcement official in Wake County, Sheriff Donnie Harrison. Sheriff Harrison has authority over ALL LOCAL, STATE, and FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS AND AGENCIES in Wake County. He answers to NO ONE except the people in Wake County by their voting him into office. I will call him this PM. Let me know if you have suggestions of questions.
* "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America." Section 8
* "The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing." Section 8j
Read the full Flag Code
George J. Sharpley
Formerly
Director of Public Safety for the
Metropolitan Washington (DC)
Council of Governments
(Southern MD – Northern VA – and DC)
Also formerly
State Trooper (Maryland)
U.S. Coast Guard (Reserve)
Guardian ad litem Supervisor (North Carolina)
PART THREE
I submit that this rule is politically motivated to downgrade the patriotic nature of the Tea Party attendees. THIS CANNOT BE TOLERATED.
Therefore, I will attend the meeting with my flag and pole; I will do it in a peaceful and respectful way; and I intend to be treated accordingly.
I suggest that we tell the authorities what we are going to do, NOT ask them what they will permit.
If they refuse to let us assemble, let them shut the Tea Party down and make arrests as we peacefully disobey unlawful orders: The Time for Protesting is Over- It's Time to Act!
PART TWO
This will be my 13th Tea Party, including 2 in D.C. on 9/12/09 and 4/20/10. My 1st Tea Party was in Fayetteville in March 2009. It was a reenactment of the “Sons of Liberty” Tea Party commemorating that Act which took place the same month in 1775. These occasions exposed me to well over 1 million like-minded American citizens expressing their guaranteed rights under the Constitution. NO BUREAUCRATIC REGULATION CAN TRUMP THAT CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEE. NOT ONCE was there an abusive word, racist act word or statement, violent act, threat, or other unruly demonstration of any kind during these constitutionally guaranteed assemblages.
There is NOT one shred of evidence of unruliness or violence on the part of those at these Tea Parties. Therefore, there is no reason for the rule as given to restrict the flying of the flag in any way. In fact, every Tea Party I have attended has had NO SUCH REGULATION. Many of these assemblages were in D. C. and in Raleigh under control of the Raleigh Police Dept. and never was any person questioned about conduct or required to remove flag poles.
Since when is a flag pole a device to be used for harmful means. Can you tell me one instance of a flag pole being used for harmful means? I can tell you an instance of our government trying to restrict our ability to fly the American flag. Please read the flag code concerning how to properly fly the flag. This rule has been clarified to mean that flags cannot be flown on a flag pole.
PART ONE:
I am incensed at the audacity of the NC administration with regard to PROHIBITING THE FLYING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG, etc. I fly my flag almost every day. It cannot be flown without a pole. It is too big. Without the pole it will drag on the ground. I will NOT permit such a DISRESPECTFUL occurrence to take place. I intend to FLY my FLAG with its pole. I refuse to accept a bureaucrat’s solution of hand-carrying my flag that is bigger than I, or any other solution. All would violate the Rules of Conduct for displaying the Flag of the United States of America.*
Since the officers involved with policing the Tea Party have sworn to uphold the Constitution when they took their oath of office (as I have), they are obligated to permit UNRESTRICTED “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”—per the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
As long as we are PEACEFULLY ASSEMBLED, government personnel MUST permit the proper flying of the flag and any other peaceful actions we may desire to exhibit.
I believe the gist of the rule is; that if you violate rule 16 they will revoke your permit to have a law abiding peaceful protest against our government (the ones that we pay and work for us). So the ultimate goal would be to cancel the entire rally. Now that is the real offense!
If someone has a concealed carry permit are they allowed to pack at a public event? A plastic flag pole as a weapon is ludicrous. This is another form of tyranny and many of you are allowing the government to get away with it.
Mr. DeGerolamo, when was this rule added?
Mr. Blakley,
First of all, thank you for your service sir. From my perspective I see this issue differently. Where is this threat of violence they claim must be prevented? I don't know of any contemporary examples of flag pole violence at a rally – so naturally law abiding, freedom of expression supporters in North Carolina find this incredibly insulting. If there were violence at a rally the perpetrators should be arrested – we already have laws to deal with those types of things. To abridge our freedom of expression – especially political speech on something so baseless is alarming. If these assertions by our government officials had any merit – they should just impose an outright ban on the public display of flag poles – better yet, let's just declare martial law now before it's too late! Governments can and have overstepped their limits on the people in the past and it's our responsibility to air our grievances when these things occur. And for what it's worth, I'm not sure how you'd "fly" a flag without a flag pole?
Best Regards,
Paul Watkins
Mr. DeGerolamo this rule says nothing at all about the inability to fly our Flag. This is for the safety of persons present in the event that violence such occur. You are allowed to fly your washington cruiser flag or any sort of banner or sign you would like. It just not be allowed to be afixed to a device that could be used for harmful means.
Steven Blakley
United States Marine Corps
A judge who will go unnamed has already stated that the case will not be heard.
Does Purdue forget she is the people servant? Have they all forgot! No, I say fly the flags, the banners, let them cringe. Do you really believe they want a jail full of tea partiers? Wonder just how a judge would view this, as a violation or as a right of free speech?
Trying to do an alternative way to display our flags is submission to tyranny. We need to take a stand not for our flags but also for our freedoms. Ask yourselves why are they trying to stop us from flying our flags?
They need to use clothes line rope and suspend flags and banners …use people at each end to display…and it's easy to store that way too