Anti-abortionists arrested for "trespassing" on a public sidewalk

February 18, 2009 @ 2:11AM

Anti-abortionists arrested for "trespassing" on a public sidewalk

By Carlos Miller -...

A group of anti-abortion activists were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama last week for refusing to leave a public sidewalk from which they were dispersing their information.

The group, which calls itself “The Survivors”, were standing on the sidewalk outside Parker High School when its members were confronted by several cops who ordered them to leave.

One of the activists was armed with a video camera and documented the exchange, which gets heated up in the sixth minute of the video, ending in the arrest of the videographer, Tara Shaver.

Nine group members ended up spending 14 hours in jail on criminal trespassing charges.

According to the press release, police confiscated four cameras and refused to return them until Monday, four days later, minutes before the group was going to hold a press conference in front of the Birmingham Police Department.

The activists who are obviously well-versed in their Constitutional rights do a good job on standing up for themselves, especially when the school principal claims the sidewalk is part of school property.

In an email interview with Photography is Not a Crime Tuesday night, Survivor member Kortney Blythe said they frequent about 200 schools a year, including high schools and colleges, and are frequently harassed by cops.

We are definitely harassed by cops often, but usually we are able to talk to them and assure them that we are within our rights.

This story is similar to one I reported on last year where a Local10 reporter was arrested for trespassing while standing on a public sidewalk in front of a school. Police tried to argue that he was on school property. After witnessing the video, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office determined that he was on the sidewalk and dropped all charges against him.

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I am a multimedia journalist who has been fighting a lengthy legal battle after having photographed Miami police against their wishes in Feb. 2007. Please help the fight by donating to my Legal Defense Fund in the top left sidebar. And join my Facebook blog network to keep updated on the latest articles.

Comments

Anonymous

3 years ago

trespassing on a sidewalk. That’s a new one. The complete opposite of what you hear on large protest videos.

Anonymous

3 years ago

yet again, my eddy murphy comment!

Anonymous

3 years ago

Unfortunately for them, they aren’t on the sidewalk. They are on the right of way. I’m not sure of their legal “standing” there.

Anonymous

3 years ago

Unfortunately for them they are NOT on the sidwalk. They are in the right of way, which the school DOES own. Not sure of their legal “standing” there.

Anonymous

3 years ago

I have no sympathy for anti-abortionists but this should not be tolerated by the public.

Anonymous

3 years ago

I actually think I remember these people, or some like them coming to my high school in NC a few years ago. If I recall correctly they were just ordered to stand a certain number of feet outside the outside of the school, and that was considered public property.
It looks like to me that they were standing right near the entrance to the school, but I also am not sure of what exactly the statutes are in the city or in Alabama. If it was the same then it might indeed be considered both school and public property, at least while the school is in session.
I will say that the detention for disorderly conduct is crap though. The anti-abortionists were pretty polite.
I have nothing against these protectors, and being pro-life is one of my few conservative viewpoints. It just might behoove them to check the city and state ordinances of where they are going before they do it.

There are too many different “Scott” people on here, so I figure I might as well use my full name. from now on to avoid confusion.

Anonymous

3 years ago

Disorderly Conduct – The police equivilant of your mom telling you, “because I said so.”

Anonymous

2 years ago

Maybe those protestors should stay home and mind their own business for a change, or try protesting somewhere that makes more political sense like a at courthouses and state houses. I think they should be arrested more often for disseminating their hateful, sometimes murderous, lies. They’re pretty sorry excuses for Christians, if you ask me.

Anonymous

2 years ago

I have a real airport valet parking buisness for Logan Airport customers flying out of Boston. Have been in buisness since 2002. Recently in Aug I have been told that I am trespassing at Logan on the public sidewalk waiting for a paying customer of the airlines. I believe that my right are being trampled on. Any suggestions out there? Bill Bell 9/9/09

Anonymous

2 years ago

Someone Reasonable@8

I think you got your definition of “reasonable” off of a bad wiki page.

Do you think that teens should obtain parental consent before they are allowed to read political literature?

Anonymous

2 years ago

Someone Reasonable

“There are alternatives to abortion.”

Villany!

I wonder if those black kids know the disproportionate abortion burden they bear-compared to the population at large?

They did seem pretty interested in what the picketers had to offer. Maybe they will look at Anatomy &Physiology a little differently.

Oh, I’d also like to point out that when Paul the Apostle was detained on one occasion he asserted his rights as a Roman Citizen. I think he considered himself a pretty sorry excuse for a Christian as well.