Protesters rally in support of anti-bank chalk activist

[deminks]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/01/protesters-rally-in-support-of-anti-bank-chalk-activist/

Demonstrators gathered outside the Hall of Justice in San Diego, California on Sunday to chalk their support for a local man facing up to 13 years in jail for using washable chalk to voice his protests against Bank of America.

“All I am permitted to say is, I disagree,” the defendant, Jeff Olson, told KGTV-TV as he joined the rally on his behalf before slapping a piece of tape across his mouth with the words “Gag order” written on it to comply with Judge Howard Shore’s order for him not to comment on the case.

Olson attracted the attention of the office of City Attorney Jan Goldsmith at the behest of bank officials, who asked for him to be prosecuted after writing messages like “Shame on Bank of America” and “No thanks big banks” during a six-month period in 2012.

But the San Diego Reader reported on Sunday that local authorities showed leniency toward similar protests outside local Planned Parenthood clinics in 2011 by an anti-abortion group, Live Action San Diego.

(end snip)

:facepalm. Yet another political prisoner in the USA.

[jberryhill]

1. .

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith
1200 Third Ave., Suite 1620
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

[KansDem]

4. Send him this...

https://www.facebook.com/events/227975900556402/

edited to correct gender

[PoliticAverse]

2. The guy even used special 'washable' chalk... n/t

[marmar]

3. k/r

[fleur-de-lisa]

5. K&R

[think]

6. What? Couldn't anyone find a hose?

It's chalk!

[zbdent]

8. Only to get rid of protesters ...

hoses can't be used to hose off stuff that's designed to be hosed off ...

[think]

9. So the application function of the water dispersement mechanism

needs adjusted....

Perhaps they can fund a study on that.....

[Egalitarian Thug]

7. K&R for trying to rouse the rabble. n/t

[AnotherMcIntosh]

10. Just a few days ago, Judge Shore ruled that Jeff Olson cannot use free speech as a defense.

In 1995, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Mackinney v. Nielsen 69 F.3d 1002 (9th Cir.1995), that use of chalk was not vandalism with the result that a cop did not have probable cause to arrest a chalk-using protestor under California Penal Code Sec. 594.
https://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/69/69.F3d.1002.94-15438.html

Judge Shore has reasoned that since the law has been changed so that the use of chalk can be considered vandalism, the change in the law somehow justifies prohibiting free-speech as a defense.

Judge Shore's term expires in 2014. If you want to help defeat him when he comes up for re-election, you can. As a state judge, he can also be impeached and an effort is underway to do that.

Olson has an attorney. Shore's anti-free speech ruling is a recent one. Let's hope that the ACLU is adequately interested. Contacting City Attorney Jan Goldsmith to oppose the continuing prosecuting may not have any effect. Contacting the ACLU might help.

[ProfessorPlum]

11. WTF?

how can this be construed as anything besides free speech?

What if he had been standing there with a sign that said the same thing?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

12. It is also unprecedented for a juge in a misdemeanor case to issue a gag order, and

particularly issue a gag order to the accused, witnesses, and the jury.
http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18058-san-diego-judge-puts-unprecedented-gag-order-on-sidewalk-chalk-protestor-trial

He even said that he wanted to gag the Mayor of San Diego from commenting, but recognized that he had no power to do so. But he warned the Mayor to keep his comments to himself (and implicitly threatened to use his contempt power if he thinks that the Mayor goes too far).

[abelenkpe]

13. He was protesting big banks

and therefore is public enemy number one in our corporate owned country. He and his use of washable chalk must be stopped!

[rurallib]

14. I say let them throw him in jail

and let Mr. Olson sue them big time. Maybe he could use a few million$$$, cause I doubt they have a leg to stand on.
ETA - hitting them in the pocketbook seems to be the only way to get their attention.

[JEB]

15. "No thanks big banks"

Wow. Extremely polite compared to my own sentiments....Fuck off you lying greedy criminal pieces of sick dog shit. And I'd prefer that etched in granite over chalk. They certainly must have a lot to hide.

[alp227]

16. I wish the prosecutors were as sensible as Susie