Looks like Occupy Nashville has got friends in high places.
So it all started when last week, some new ordinances were passed requiring protesters to have proper permits and abide by curfew and stuff. That’s great, except that the protesters had already been there for, like, all of October. Looks like the governor is a bit tardy to the party.
A Tennessee judge told cops to lay off the protesters, and state officials complied, issuing a temporary restraining order on the new curfew laws. Wait, they can do that to laws? That’s pretty cool. Anyway, the judge said it wasn’t really fair as there was no time for anyone to get the proper permits, since they were, you know, protesting. Her help is great, but uh, not sure if the rest of the country has got the message. Occupy protesters have been getting arrested all over the place, from New York to Chicago, as the protests themselves spread like wildfire across the nation.
All these protest laws seem kind of counterintuitive to me anyway. I mean, isn’t the whole point of a protest to create a stir and attract attention for the cause? If you get all the necessary permits and leave when curfew begins, how much of an uproar are you really starting here? Some protesters are playing by the rules, of course, and I’m not advocating lawlessness by any means. But come on, everybody loves a little excitement as long as no one gets hurt!
We’ve even had a few protests in our own backyard – Occupy the Quad at UIUC has already held several demonstrations. Fortunately, no arrests of students have been made, but that’s probably because if gathering on the Quad were illegal, half the University would be in jail by now.
So you go, judge! Protecting constitutional rights is always awesome. But the protesters should probably stay on their toes, because a lot of things are still against the law.
