Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
While TEA Party folks like myself did protest and assembled all over the country and in DC (and generally left the protest areas cleaner than they found it), while boisterous, we were peaceful. The Left, seeking “redress”? Not so much:
Police escorts for senators after protesters swarm the Capitol ahead of Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote
The impassioned fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court has led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters. United States Capitol Police have arrested dozens of protesters in recent days and stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways. Some Republican senators have expressed unease over protesters who have confronted them at their Senate offices, restaurants, airports and even their homes.
McConnell took to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to rail against the delays in confirming Kavanaugh, including protesters who have confronted senators, and slamming Democrats, who he claims are moving the goalposts on President Donald Trump’s nominee. ‘I want to make it clear to these people who are chasing my members down the hall here, or harassing them at the airport or going to their homes, we will not be intimidated by these people,’ he said. More uniformed officers have been visible in the Senate amid mounting protests, and senators have been escorted by uniformed officers.
Cornell’s Law School’s Legal Information Institute paraphrases it thusly:
The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over other sand also restricting an individual’s religious practices. It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely. It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government.
If more and more uniformed law enforcement of all types have to be present against an upswelling of out of control anti-Trump / anti-Kavanaugh protesters, the latter are not there to peacefully assemble and seek redress. They are there to intimidate and cower those that simply do not agree with the protesters ideology.
The
(H/T: Daily Mail)
