Crime

Occupy Nashville Protesters Arrested but Will Go Free After Judge Refuses to Sign Warrants

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (The Blaze/AP) — Authorities in Tennessee made about 30 arrests early Friday at the site where a few dozen Wall Street protesters have been encamped for about three weeks in Nashville, protesters said.

Authorities began moving in a little after 3 a.m. using a newly enacted state policy that set a curfew for the grounds near the state Capitol, including Legislative Plaza where the protesters had been staying in tents. The state’s new rules specifically banned “overnight occupancy” at the public space and require permits and use fees for rallies.

But later in the morning, Jeff Blum of the Davidson County Sheriff‘s Office said the protesters were being released after a night court judge wouldn’t sign the warrants. He didn‘t elaborate on the judge’s refusal.

WZTV in Nashville reports the judge said the protesters didn’t have enough to leave the park before they were taken into custody.

Protester Steve Reiter, who works closely with the group’s legal team, said there were apparently problems with how the protesters were taken into custody, particularly concerning being given proper notice. Reiter said their release is a victory for Occupy Nashville.

Katy Savage, another of the protesters, said she peeked out of her tent around 3 a.m. and saw that the camp was surrounded by state troopers.

“I was grabbing our stuff to try to get it off the area,” she said.

Savage said people who had already decided they would get arrested sat down together and began singing “We Shall Overcome” as troopers took them – dragging some – to waiting buses.

About 20 protesters, who remained on a sidewalk, were not arrested and were still there later in the morning. All the tents had been removed from the plaza and state workers could be seen picking up items left by the protesters. Several state troopers stood guard at the steps to the Capitol.

Asked about the arrests, Savage said she was “disgusted and disappointed.”

“This was a group of brilliant, wonderful people that I had come to know as family, practicing democratic decision-making on public space. And for that they were dragged away in handcuffs,” Savage said.

Occupy Wall Street activists have set up camps in cities around the country to protest economic inequality and what they call corporate greed.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Tracy Trott would not give details about the arrests, saying only that authorities were there “to enforce the general services policy for the plaza and the Capitol area.”

State officials planned to hold a news conference later in the morning to discuss the arrests.

Protester Albert Rankin said Thursday that the group intended to face arrests with “no hostility whatsoever” to avoid a repeat of violent shutdowns of protests in other cities this week. In Oakland, Calif., an Iraq war veteran suffered a fractured skull in a scuffle with police, and Atlanta SWAT teams arrested protesters there.

“There were some shouts here and there, but for the most part, it was very peaceful,” Rankin said of Friday’s arrests in Nashville.

Police last removed protesters from the legislative office complex in March during discussions of anti-union bills. Seven were arrested for disrupting a Senate Commerce Committee meeting and resisting arrest but later acquitted.

Comments (86)

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  • jungle J
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:31pm

    Many judges are mentally ill.

    Report Post »  
    • HKS
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:41pm

      From what I have seen of our legal system the bar for a judge is pretty low. They use the lower 1% of the lawyers and that should tell you all you need to know. If you can’t make it as a lawyer then your a judge. A real lawyer couldn’t handle the legal pay cut.

      Report Post » HKS  
    • jhrusky
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:52pm

      Why is this judge still employed?

      Report Post » jhrusky  
    • My Two Cents
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:26pm

      If I follow this judge’s logic it would mean that I should not get a speeding ticket because I was not given enough time to slow down.

      Report Post »  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:00pm

      You just don’t like it when your perceived political enemies win in an already corrupt court that favors the police state.

      I bet you expected them to be charged and treated like common criminals after being corraled and kettled by police state thugs during a political demonstration…

      Boo hoo. Lick their boots.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • mils
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:00pm

      the sane people of nashville should recall this judge
      they won’t….cause they don’t wanna rock the vote…just let us fall apart..piece by piece

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:39pm

      I thought it worked like this…
      Police arrest someone for breaking the law, that person is taken to jail, the District Attorney decides whether or not to prosecute and the Judge is last in line except on decided bail. Since when does a Judge decide, on the first hearing, whether or not the Police made a valid arrest? What part of this am I missing?

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:40pm

      That Judge will change his mind when the protesters try to take over his court room.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:29pm

    Communist activist judges.

    Report Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
  • hologram5
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:22pm

    No rule of law for these fools where the Tea Party protests were much more lawful, much cleaner and left the area cleaner than when they showed up and these communists get a free pass. Disgusting and not the America I grew up in.

    Report Post » hologram5  
    • ncmtnman1940
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:56pm

      I couldn’t agree more. We need more conservative senators to block new prgressive judges and remove
      sitting activist judges from the bench. Comments on the Blaze generally warm my heart. It is comforting to know we are not alone and growing in strength. I am almost blind so please forgive any typos I inadvertently
      make. God bless you salt of the earth people.

      Report Post »  
    • Hossmiester
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:12pm

      This is exactly why NO JUDGE should be a judge for life. Every judicial body should be elected by the people, not appointed by the crony “Buddy System”. If judges were to have to be elected they might think twice about ruling as the law was written not how they choose to interpret the law. Otherwise come election time they might have to get off there high and mighty throne and work for a real living.

      Report Post » Hossmiester  
  • carl_in_ohio
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:21pm

    what happens when the riots happen – and the police decide not to intervene?

    When the police pull back due to lack of “administrative support” from the legal system, situations will worsen. the mobs will think they have the upper hand and occupy and destroy.

    Who cleans up the aftermath?
    Who reopens the grocery stores if robbed?
    Where will the local tax payers work when companies move to less hostile environments in the suburbs? or outsource to India?

    Even if Obama is re-elected, so what? the economy worsens. He has no problem to fix anything.
    So the liberals win.
    So we pull out of Iraq – now.
    The war will only move to American soil. We’ll still be spending massive amounts of money on security – or the system slows down.

    Even if the system breaks down, the economic engines to really run the country are breaking — so what do they gain? Power? Power of what?

    Report Post »  
  • dgktowntx
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:20pm

    what the hell,,,,didnt have proper notice…..the law is the law…break it u go into custody……go arrest them again and let another judge handle it……

    Report Post » dgktowntx  
  • The next to last american president
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:12pm

    What do you expect from a Demorat Judge! Let the police dogs go after the protestors.

    Report Post »  
  • elosogrande
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:12pm

    They are all brilliant people? Wow!

    How come the protesters in Nashville are the exact opposite of the complete dolts and fools we see in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, blah, blah, blah?

    Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:07pm

      remember -Katy Savage said these people are brilliant . this implies Katy is either mentally inferior or on the same intellectual plane as them.

      You decide after the source is considered—> Katy Savage

      Report Post » Stoic one  
  • ravendoe
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:10pm

    Hey Katy, this is a REPUBLIC! Look it up! And by the way, you were breaking the law. If these people are so brilliant and wonderful then they would realize that protesting for days on end gets you nowhere. I challenge you to get out of your tent do the research necessary to make the changes you wish to see instead of just sitting on your arse in front of the capitol building and whining about them. Proactivism vs. reactive… Oh but that‘s right you don’t even understand how America works. Good luck.

    Report Post » ravendoe  
  • Lotus503
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:06pm

    Why don’t the cowards name the judge?

    Report Post »  
  • TRUTHSENSE
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:02pm

    Encinom, What police state are you talking about? A democracy has to have police to enforce the law, unless we want to resort to vigilantes or mob rule. You must be referring to the Police State that we are about to see when President Obama declares Marshall Law and cancels elections because of the protest that he is encouraging. Of course, as long as the Police State is backing your ideas I’m sure you will be alright with it. An independant Judiciary is one thing, but judges who make their own ideas as law are not protecting democracy. Do you really know what a democracy is? I voted in the last election, did you not? Oh, I’m sorry. The last Congressional elections didn’t go your way did they?

    Report Post » TRUTHSENSE  
    • GeoffTN
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:50pm

      Your statement is passionate but very true. These are NOT people who understand democracy or the rule of the law. Therefore, they are claiming to have ‘created’ a democracy in their little enclave, sort of a college project. In the end, however, the resultant tensions could indeed lead to a declaration of martial law and the suspension of elections, especially if the currency falters. These people think we somehow will just bow down and become Euro-light socialists. The truth is, the ONLY result if their game is successful will be a full-scale civil war on our soil and a lot of dead fellow Americans, followed by whatever totalitarian regime proves dominant. My advise to everyone is: Pray for America; we are on the edge of falling over. Pray for this President, as it does not appear anyone else can defuse this problem without bloodshed. Pray for the average American to wake up and see we have to become involved in standing against the anti-Constitutional forces arrayed against us. And work hard to fight the lies like Glenn Beck has done; we need to take the high ground in these arguments and push back…

      Report Post »  
    • GeoffTN
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:56pm

      To clarify the above, I am not saying we are going to need to be armed and ready for civil war, but in my opinion simply that result appears to be the only end to this childish game when it gets crazy next spring when we slam into the debt ceiling again.

      Report Post »  
  • Corwin525
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:01pm

    In case a “Judge” is difficult to remove…Who? set’s the docket? if the “judge” did not have any case’s then they could not make such ignorant decisions.

    Report Post » Corwin525  
  • Simonne
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:00pm

    It’s difficult to have any respect for judges nowadays.

    Report Post »  
    • I.Gaspar
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 12:07pm

      The past few years the left has been busy loading the courts at every level with activists…not real judges. There is no one on the left worth respecting. Period.

      Report Post »  
  • GreatGu
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:53am

    Can te Stsate Attorney General Step In? This is blatant disregard for the law, period. This judge should be removed from the bench for becomming part of the oroblem.

    Report Post »  
  • jessieH
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:51am

    That is a judge that needs to be removed from the bench. Corruption comes in many forms. Some pose as judges.

    Report Post »  
  • SamIamTwo
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:46am

    Yep, you wonder when it will all crumble…people get your heads put on straight and give em the boot!

    Report Post » SamIamTwo  
  • rclay36
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:44am

    If this was the Tea Party event we would have to have paid our fee’s, show liability insurance and provide sanitation services and above all else respect and abide by the law. But since this is a Democrat Liberal Protest it is fee and the law does not apply! So let all go out break the law, disrespect law enforcement, disrespect and ignore any amount of civility all in the name of Democrat Liberal Socialist agenda’s.

    Rick Clay
    304-550-7970

    Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:54am

      judges need to start being held accountable. the laws governing judges are basically none. they need to be disbarred if they are not willing to follow the laws they took an oath to uphold.

      Report Post »  
    • Oldphoto678
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:06pm

      Well the way more and more Americans are turning away from the tea party I guess noone cares how much you pat yourselves on the back.

      Report Post »  
  • olddog
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:43am

    Leftist Judges care Nothing of the law, just wait til theSuper Duper Woopy Doopy sUPreme court (Big Joke) rules on obamacare….If you are not following the law you are not a judge but an activist…
    Good Job Nashville, you know how to pickem…

    Report Post » olddog  
  • lylejk
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:43am

    It’s only going to get colder. Take away the tests and sleeping bags and refuse vendors from selling food in those areas and they will leave. 3 or 4 days of doing this and these guys will be gone. Only folk that should even have a right to protest in Tennesse are Tennesseans; if folk other then Tennesseans are found, they should be jailed. That should also help since I suspect over 30% of the folk there are outsiders (though I could be wrong) but also are the organizers. Also, notify their family of what these guys are doing. Shame is a powerful tool that can stop a lot of folks from doing idiotic things. Maybe this generation of kids were unfortunately raised without shame (hope I’m wrong). I’m not sure why Tennessee is being ocuppied. If anything, they should be taking their pitchforks to D.C. for killing jobs like Gibson Guitars for instance. :)

    Report Post » lylejk  
    • Oldphoto678
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:20pm

      Tennesse belongs to all Americans. Even the ones you don’t like. I’ll go to any state I want to. Any time I want to, and protest anything I want to. You and your ilk will never have the power to stop me or anyone else.

      Report Post »  
  • THX-1138
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:40am

    Flame throwers.

    Just sayin’…

    Report Post » THX-1138  
  • CottonMPG
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:37am

    How about this, bring them back and give them time to take their stuff. Then after the alotted time arrest everyone still there!

    Report Post » CottonMPG  
  • TxMadMac
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:34am

    As any police officer will tell you, ignorance of the law is no excuse, and yet this judge sides with the protesters ? This smacks of liberal progressive BS ! Someone should arrest this judge for legislating from the bench !

    Report Post »  
    • Anarchy_in_the_USA
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:43am

      They’ve had all week to prepare. The Gov’s intentions have been on the news and radio, so if Steve Reiter is on the “legal team” he should have had an idea this was coming down.

      “This was a group of brilliant, wonderful people that I had come to know as family, practicing democratic decision-making on public space.” Brilliant and Wonderful probably wouldn’t be the adjectives I would use to descibe these losers.

      Report Post »  
    • Bonnieblue2A
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:08pm

      If the judge refused to issue warrants for laws broken he should be recalled from the bench and possibly disbarred.

      Report Post »  
  • randy
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:29am

    Vite these SOB judges out of office

    Report Post » randy  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:29am

    One more bleeding hearted judge who is in the bag for the protesters and the administration.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • GhostOfJefferson
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:27am

    “WZTV in Nashville reports the judge said the protesters didn’t have enough to leave the park before they were taken into custody.”

    They said that? Enough what? Guacamole? Small hairless dogs? Powdered Jello mix? What didn’t they have enough of, please, we’re dying to know!?

    Editing is our friends, Blaze staff!

    By the way, I always make this offer, contact me, I can help if you really need it.

    Report Post » GhostOfJefferson  
    • UlyssesP
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:35am

      Guacamole? Small hairless dogs? Powdered Jello mix?
      Isn’t that a meth recipe?

      Report Post » UlyssesP  
    • momrules
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:53pm

      @ULYSSESP…………………..Your comment made me laugh out loud………….Thank you.

      Report Post »  
  • ColoradoMaverick
    Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:19am

    A liberal activist judge no doubt. Looks like he needs to be the next unemployed person in America.

    Report Post » ColoradoMaverick  
    • encinom
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:38am

      And, where except for Facist nations does the Judge acts as a rubber stamp for the Polce State? An independant Judiciary protects a democracy.

      Report Post »  
    • lylejk
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:45am

      Breaking a law is breaking the law. The judges job is to ensure that law is obeyed; it’s the police that enforce the law. The judge is not doing his job and should be canned for that. Why does the judge have to sign a warrant for arrest anyway since these folk are on public property and not in their own homes. That’s the question I would like asked. :)

      Report Post » lylejk  
    • NOTAMUSHROOM
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 1:24pm

      When will the progressives learn that we live in neither a police state nor a democracy and the current Marxist administration is the closest thing we’ve ever experienced to a fascist regime in this country. Get a clue, will ya?

      This whole thing is so sad. So many people are so clueless and willingly let themselves be used as tools for the IslamoCommieFascists. The OBlamer administration is so openly desperate that it’s just uncomfortable to watch on TV. Like watching a public speaker with his fly undone and his junk on display. Really pathetic.

      Report Post »  
    • Bill Rowland
      Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:52pm

      Encinom – a judges job is to enforce the laws passed by congress and state legislatures, not to decide to make law. When judges start to make laws they set themselves up as little gods. They ain’t
      they are servants of the law.

      OMG

      Report Post »  
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