Guy arrested at Alaska State Fair for 'Impeach Obama'

[Godot showed up]

I think anyone who is protesting wants to provoke confrontation of some sort.

Well, here we disagree. Protesting--peaceably assembling, even if you're just one person--does not automatically equate to wanting to provoke anything except thought. I think the guy wanted to hold up a big "Impeach Obama" sign and that's all, and maybe talk to some like-minded passersby.

[soleil]

Well, here we disagree. Protesting--peaceably assembling, even if you're just one person--does not automatically equate to wanting to provoke anything except thought. I think the guy wanted to hold up a big "Impeach Obama" sign and that's all, and maybe talk to some like-minded passersby.

I don't necessarily mean a physical or verbal confrontation. I do think people protesting are trying very hard to get whatever message out. Like you said, it could just be provoking thought.

[Thor]

Mark this on your calendar Soleil--we're exactly on the same page when it comes to both what we think happened here, and that we both believe he ought to have been left alone. The only thing is, it looks like I was wrong about his legal rights. It stinks, though.

Spark, my opinion is that whoever taped this had nothing to do with the guy. Half the attendees at least must have had camcorders. That's just my thought. So I don't think it was any kind of setup.  And if it was a setup, and they were trying to actually get security to act like a bunch of thugs and bullies by having one old guy hold up a sign, they succeeded admirably--but saying that's in some way wrong would be akin to saying undercover cops would be wrong to participate in a drug bust, that the criminals were set up.

Don't be so sure that this wasn't "staged". Many protesters do that just to get their message out. Fact: Alaska State Fair IS Private property. A person does not retain their constitutional rights when they enter private property. Those rights exist SOLELY at the owner's discretion. I DO have a few problems with the way that the security guards acted at a couple of points.

It wasn't trespassing. Once he bought the ticket, he had every right to be there. Just because they call it trespassing on their facebook page doesn't make it so. It's NOT trespassing if, for example, you sit down ina  restaurant and they agree to serve you. At no time could the restaurant claim that you are trespassing. That's the whole point of a place being defined as a place of public accommodation. All kinds of private property are places of public accommodation. Nearly every retail business is. So much more is a park selling tickets for the right of access. Let me repeat that--the ticket was sold for the right of access.

No, you're wrong. A good example would be that you go to a local Sears store. You cause a disruption and are asked to leave. Once you refuse to leave, you are guilty of trespassing. One doesn't necessarily have to "buy a ticket". That ticket only allows a person access rights to a property. It doesn't allow them to do whatever they want.

[Thor]

I'd also like to suggest that just because an entity uses a title that may infer it is a State Government SPONSORED event, that isn't always the case.

The Texas State Fair in Dallas is a private org. http://www.bigtex.com/sft/AboutUs/OurOrganization.asp as is the Minnesota State Fair: http://www.mnstatefair.org/general_info/about_us.html

[Godot showed up]

Don't be so sure that this wasn't "staged". Many protesters do that just to get their message out. Fact: Alaska State Fair IS Private property. A person does not retain their constitutional rights when they enter private property. Those rights exist SOLELY at the owner's discretion. I DO have a few problems with the way that the security guards acted at a couple of points.

No, you're wrong. A good example would be that you go to a local Sears store. You cause a disruption and are asked to leave. Once you refuse to leave, you are guilty of trespassing. One doesn't necessarily have to "buy a ticket". That ticket only allows a person access rights to a property. It doesn't allow them to do whatever they want.

I'm not wrong that he was not trespassing up until the time they asked him to leave, any more thany any of the other fair attendees were trespassing (or, in your example Thor, the other Sears store shoppers). I suppose that at that point, when he refused, he became a trespasser.

[Thor]

I'm not wrong that he was not trespassing up until the time they asked him to leave, any more thany any of the other fair attendees were trespassing (or, in your example Thor, the other Sears store shoppers). I suppose that at that point, when he refused, he became a trespasser.

Exactly, when they asked him to move to another area, which WAS in the video, and he refused, he immediately became a trespasser. I THINK that's what I basically said....

[Godot showed up]

Exactly, when they asked him to move to another area, which WAS in the video, and he refused, he immediately became a trespasser. I THINK that's what I basically said....

Ok ok ok. Uncle.

I need a beer.

[NHSparky]

Ok ok ok. Uncle.

I need a beer.

Move along to the local bar.  As long as you don't bring your sign in and then refuse to leave when the bouncer asks you to put it in your car, we're all good.

I'll even buy the first one.

[soleil]

Move along to the local bar.  As long as you don't bring your sign in and then refuse to leave when the bouncer asks you to put it in your car, we're all good.

I'll even buy the first one.

lol