Political Melee in Hemming Park results in several arrests.

[Snufflee]

One thing about Florida, it tends to stay away from that pernicious 'marching down the street, blocking highways, throwing molotovs at CVSs, beating on people with a differing political view, Guy Fawkes rioting far left type of culture'. Hopefully that crap with stay in San Fran, Portland, Austin, Baltimore, St Louis etc etc etc. Once you go to the left deep end, there's no turning back.

There's a reason why most of the center to right cities are growing faster than the far leftist cities (where everything is about climate change and social justice rather than jobs and civility).  Hopefully Jax don't let that horrible far leftist culture take over, or we are gonna be the next Detroit.

LOL.. c'mon do you really believe the crap you spout.

[funwithteeth]

You expect U.S. citizens to protest something the U.S. wasn't involved in?

Bashar al-Assad cares deeply what the citizens of Jacksonville have to say.

I mean, maybe BridgeTroll knew about a secret Syrian embassy here in Jacksonville where these same protesters could have lodged complaints about the atrocities in that country.

[BridgeTroll]

You expect U.S. citizens to protest something the U.S. wasn't involved in?

Bashar al-Assad cares deeply what the citizens of Jacksonville have to say.

I mean, maybe BridgeTroll knew about a secret Syrian embassy here in Jacksonville where these same protesters could have lodged complaints about the atrocities in that country.

Perhaps the large well established Syrian community would have appreciated the support...  But you go ahead  with your excuses...

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-dec-a-look-at-jacksonvilles-arab-american-community/page/

[finehoe]

Perhaps the large well established Syrian community would have appreciated the support...

Like I'm sure they appreciate your support in resettling Syrian refugees in the US.  Oh, wait...

[BridgeTroll]

Perhaps the large well established Syrian community would have appreciated the support...

Like I'm sure they appreciate your support in resettling Syrian refugees in the US.  Oh, wait...

Wait what?

[Cheshire Cat]

Police broke up a protest of Syrian airstrikes last week in Florida after witnesses say a President Donald Trump supporter provoked fights.

Six demonstrators were arrested and one was hospitalized Friday evening after a man carrying a Trump flag and another man disrupted the protest at Jacksonville's Hemming Park, reported WOKV-FM.

Protest organizer Dan Schneider led anti-war chants during the demonstration, and police said demonstrator Connell Crooms "changed the dynamic of the crowd" by speaking out against police brutality against black men.

Officers said the man with the Trump flag and another man then shouted pro-police statements through their own megaphone.

Crooms, who is deaf, tried to take the flag, and an officer tried to separate the two men — but they violently arrested the anti-war protester after he again tried to grab the flag.

An officer punched Crooms multiple times as the protester insisted he'd done nothing wrong. Crooms was later hospitalized for injuries suffered during his arrest.

Officers arrested several other people for fighting, and event organizer Schneider was also taken into custody after he tried to leave.

One man, Robert Sheffield Jr., was arrested for throwing water on a woman because he voted for Trump and she was a Democrat, and police were unable to verify his claim that the woman had struck him.

Witnesses said police were unable to keep anti-war protesters separated from counter-protesters, and they blamed the fighting on a Trump supporter named William Garrett Nix, who also goes by Gary Snow, reported Folio Weekly.

One protester said Snow, who was wearing a black vest with Trump's name and the number 45 on it, repeatedly shoved his camera into demonstrators' faces and tried to start fights

Some protesters asked police to stop Snow — who activists say is affiliated with white nationalist groups — before the fights broke out, witnesses told the newspaper.

Snow's name turns up in local media reports expressing support for police, and Folio Weekly reported that he seeks out like-minded individuals on social media by using the hashtags "whitepower," "whitepride" and "patriots."

For full story click link below.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/right-wing-troll-blamed-for-sparking-chaos-at-jacksonville-anti-trump-war-protest/

[Cheshire Cat]

Here is a statement from the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition

Jacksonville Progressive Coalition on Hemming Park 5 Incident
Date: April 10, 2017

Firstly, we want it to be known that we are a coalition of peace and social justice activists and organizations, and as such, we hold nonviolence as one of our core principles. We even offer trainings to other groups in nonviolence. (As you can imagine, our phones have been ringing off the hook by groups asking to gain some expertise in this area.) But no system is perfect, especially if law enforcement is not invested in keeping the peace.
We believe that the incident which broke out in Hemming Park on April 7 was entirely preventable. There was a large police presence for the small number of demonstrators on hand (60-70). The police were asked by organizers to separate the counter demonstrators from us and were refused. We have been peacefully demonstrating in Hemming Park and other locations around the city for five years, all without incident.
We call upon Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams, and the State Attorney Melissa Nelson to begin immediate and transparent investigations into private security and police actions (and inactions) in Hemming Park on Friday, April 7, 2017.
We call upon the State Attorney's office to review the multiple videos of the incident and to interview eyewitnesses. We feel confident that if this is done, none of these hefty charges will stand.
We call upon the media to cease creating reports based solely upon the Jacksonville Sheriff Office's information, and to reach out to organizers for comments, to review video footage, and to interview people who were present before crafting a narrative of events. We believe in the First Amendment guarantee of Freedom of the Press, as well as Freedom of Speech. We hope that the media representatives in our community will work together with us to ensure the continuation of both of these rights enshrined in our nation's constitution.
We want to offer heartfelt thanks to the citizens of Jacksonville for their outpouring of support. We were able to raise all five arrestees' bail bonds (totaling over $150,000) in a short amount of time, and over $6,000 for their medical expenses, as well.
Finally, we wish for people to know that the Mr. Sheffield who was also arrested that evening was not a part of our demonstration. He is unknown to us, and we know no more about the events leading to his arrest than the general public.

[Cheshire Cat]

Jax Sheriff: Gary Snow a 'catalyst' of Hemming Park protest melee

A Friday evening Jacksonville protest against military action in Syria, went ugly, with multiple protesters being arrested, and one getting medical treatment.

Meanwhile, counter-protester Gary Snow, a fixture at Jacksonville protests on the left and political events on the right for almost a year now, escaped without charges.

However, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told us on Tuesday that Snow in fact was a "catalyst" of the melee between protesters and police in Hemming Park — and that the JSO is reviewing video of the event along with procedure.

"That event Friday — he clearly was a catalyst," Williams said of the violence that occurred.

"We had dozens and dozens of protests in Jacksonville, peacefully. We've got a great working relationship with the [Jacksonville] Progressive Coalition and many other groups in that protest."

When asked about the "incite to riot" charges against some of the protesters on the other side, who had been baited by Snow, as well as at Florida Statute prohibiting interruption of lawful assembly, Williams noted that the ultimate fate of those charges — and potentially others — rests on documentary evidence.

"We have about 15 videos right now, and we're going to look at every aspect of that, including 'is there anyone who did not get charged who should be charged', so we're going to look at that and see, in addition to looking at operational fixes for us," Williams said.



Click link for full story:


http://floridapolitics.com/archives/235900-235900

[Cheshire Cat]

Jacksonville Sheriff: JSO could charge more protesters involved in Friday violence

Snow is seen in video and still images sitting on an officer's vehicle. Some protesters have questioned why some of the anti-war protesters were arrested for inciting a riot, but Snow was not detained and charged. Snow, along with getting in the face of opposing protestors, was confrontational and made lewd gestures as the situation escalated.

When asked if Snow could be charged, Williams said, "we're going to evaluate those videos. We will see (if there is) anyone who was not charged that should be on either side ... if there is evidence in the video that supports that."

When asked if Snow would be handled differently in the future, Williams said, "we will manage the entire protest differently." He said his office is talking with attorneys with the Office of General Counsel and the State Attorney's Office as they develop rules and protocols for future events.

For full story click link.

http://jacksonville.com/news/public-safety/2017-04-11/jacksonville-sheriff-jso-could-charge-more-protesters-involved-friday

[Cheshire Cat]

For a guy who is supposedly all about law and order, policing etc and who gloated that some protesters got what they deserved because they resisted arrest, the just in. Action News Jax learned on Monday night that Snow pleaded guilty to resisting law enforcement in 2008 in Indiana.

[SuzySpringfield]

Justice for the Jax5 Community Planning Meeting & Support Day

Friday 04/14/17  6:30 PM - 8 PM
966 N Liberty St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-5660

Come out to show support to those brutally beaten and arrested by the police in Jacksonville this past weekend while peacefully demonstrating for an end to war in Syria. We will be discussing next steps and releasing new information about the struggle to get justice for the #Jax5.

Connell Crooms was attacked by JSO and beaten unconscious.
Tom Beckham was taken down by JSO, choked, and almost passed out.
Christina Kittle was grabbed and slammed down by JSO, then hauled away.
William Wilder was choked by JSO and punched repeatedly in the face.
Dave Schneider was taken into JSO custody for organizing the peace demonstration.

We will be holding a planning meeting of many of the major organizations in Jacksonville inside the IBEW Hall at 966 N Liberty Street at 6pm this Friday, April 14th. We want everyone who cares about peace and justice to attend

We will be demanding that the State Attorney drop all the charges, and that a full investigation into JSO is conducted including looking into:
*Police Misconduct & Brutality
*Police surveillance & targeting of union leaders and community activists.
*Any ties between JSO and white supremacist organizations or individuals.

[Cheshire Cat]

For those who plan to protest this is important information.  Know the law and know your rights.  This is from the ACLU.

The right to join with fellow citizens in protest or peaceful assembly is critical to a functioning democracy. But it is also unfortunately true that governments and police can violate this right – through the use of mass arrests, illegal use of force, criminalization of protest, and other means intended to thwart free public expression.

Standing up for your right to protest can be challenging, especially when demonstrations are met with violence. But knowing your rights is the most powerful weapon you have against police abuse. Read on to learn what you need to know before heading out to exercise your constitutionally protected right to protest.

For entire article click the link.

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-your-rights-are-violated-demonstration-or-protest

[remc86007]

^ Thanks for posting that. In my opinion, numbers 8 & 9 from the list are by far the most important.

Too often, protestors "knowing their rights" leads them to feel empowered to argue with police. Arguing with police almost never ends well.

[Cheshire Cat]

You are most welcome.   Over the decades I have found out that people sometimes have no idea that policies and laws in one state are very different than another.  There are also Federal laws that apply to all.  Sadly because most people are fair minded and want justice they assume that politicians and legislators are protecting their rights and the sanctity of our constitution, when in fact many today are trying to rip away our rights and protections.  It is up to us to be informed and proactive.  It would also be helpful if there was a return to basic civics classes in our schools.  Too many people are clueless to how our government works and that leads them to be shocked when things happen that they long believed they were protected from.  We must claim and own our democratic beliefs to make it work.

[Cheshire Cat]

There has been a new and disturbing video discovered posted by Gary Snow that he put on You Tube the day before the upset in Hemming Park.  His intentions and target is very, very clear. 

Folio, story by CLAIRE GOFORTH
In a YouTube video Gary Snow posted on April 6, one day before videos of cops beating and arresting protesters in Hemming Park made international news, he jokes with and mocks a young woman holding up a "Refugees Welcome" sign and waving a rainbow flag at the Jacksonville Landing. One minute and two seconds into the undated video, entitled "Trolling the Liberals at our President Trump rally Jacksonville FL," a fairly jovial Snow, who sings and drinks from a cup of yellowish liquid, says to the woman, "Mike didn't want to show up. Connell, Connell didn't want to show up. Dave Schneider, Dave, Dave Schneider didn't want to show up.... They sent the women in to do their work for them." Snow later says, "I'm still out here fucking with these motherfuckers ... Call Mike, tell him to come out here. Call Dave, call Connell, tell him to come out here."

Connell Crooms and Dave Schneider were two of the five protesters among those beaten and arrested by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in Hemming Park on April 7, one day after this video was posted. In a phone interview this afternoon, Snow repeatedly refused to say when the video was filmed.

For full story click the link.



http://folioweekly.com/stories/did-gary-snow-target-the-hemming-park-5,17329