News from the liberterrain…
"I started passing out FIJA pamphlets. Immediately two Homeland Security police officers approached and heckled me. It reminded me of teenage boy harassment." – Julian Heicklen
According to FIJA activist and libertarian Julian Heicklen, "heckling," property theft, and "un-arresting" are apparently part of the regular duties of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) police officers in New York City.
Heicklen is arrested in Manhattan by his old nemesis, Officer
C. Barnes #245 shown here in a video from a November 9, 2009
FIJA outreach event. (screenshot from video courtesy blog of bile)
After successfully launching his 2010 FIJA pamphleting season in Philadelphia on April 5, Penn State Professor Emeritus Julian Heicklen returned to the US District Courthouse in Manhattan for the first time since last fall to distribute Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) flyers to potential jury members.
In the past, Heicklen has been repeatedly harassed, handcuffed, arrested, and transported to hospitals for psychiatric evaluation for exercising his Constitutional right of free speech in the public square.
This time, however, Heicklen reported to his supporters, "Ambulances are no longer called, and I am not hauled off to a hospital."
When he began handing out flyers, two DHS police officers approached and began heckling him. "It reminded me of teenage boy harassment," Heicklen says.
By noon eight DHS police were on the scene and Officer Barnes, a familiar nemesis from previous distribution efforts, asked Heicklen to leave.
As he always does, while citing his right to be there, Heicklen refused.
Thus began the now-familiar dance of wills between peaceful activist and intransigent law enforcement.
Heicklen dropped to the ground, refusing to participate in his own unconstitutional arrest. Officer Barnes confiscated his JURY INFO sign and remaining FIJA flyers and issued a citation for "Unauthorized Distribution of Materials."
"Then he un-arrested me and left," Heicklen reports.
"It is peculiar that Barnes arrests me, steals my possessions, but does not have me arraigned," Heicklen observed afterwards. "The reason, of course, is that violation of a Homeland Security regulation is not an arrestable offense, even if it were constitutionally permitted."
To Heicklen, this was not a defeat. "We have moved forward an inch. One of our people observed the event and reported that some people were discussing the FIJA literature. However, we are going to need a stronger show of force. If more people join me, the police will realize that they are only aggravating the situation."
"This will take a lot of time, but it is a long summer," Heicklen vows.
So, on Monday, April 19, he'll be right back in Manhattan passing out FIJA literature again.
The full text of Heicklen's "Progress Report" of this event is posted at blog of bile.
Julian Heicklen needs volunteers to witness, photograph and video his outreach efforts. He encourages you to join his "Tyranny Fighters" by emailing him at jph13-at-psu-dot-edu, but be advised that the government may be intercepting his emails.
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Comments
Wow, but than what do people expect - the person in charge of the largest Law Enforcement organization on earth has employed people accused (and known too have) been involved in the drug trade.
And than there is the deplorable lack of freedoms that people are pushing in return for costly government programs.
Welcome to the new order...
I'd like to see those cops arrested for their acts of theft.
He's lucky not to be a TEA partier -- BHO's allies have now beaten three of them savagely, requiring medical treatment.
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