Live video archived at Periscope shows U.S. Park Police officers detaining and searching a peaceful anti-Hillary Clinton demonstrator in the area of the opening ceremony for the National Museum of African-American History on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Saturday afternoon.
Trump supporter Jack Posobiec went to the Mall dressed in an orange prison outfit wearing a blond wig and Hillary Clinton mask while holding a sign that read “Blacks are super predators – H” The sign referenced a controversial remark Clinton made while First Lady in the 1990s. Clinton was not at the museum opening that was attended by President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush.
After walking around on the sidewalk and closed street on the Mall near the new museum, Posobiec is surrounded by uniformed Park Police officers led by a Black officer who proceeds to interrogate Posobiec and demand his ID. The reasons for detaining and searching Posobiec ranged from “holding a sign”, a bogus claim of “threatening the president” by just being there, holding a can of Monster and an implied statement that he was annoying Black people with his demonstration.
The harassment by the Park Police starts around 10:30 in the 28 minute long video and lasts for a good ten minutes. The Black officer is the first officer to speak to Posobiec. He is soon backed-up by a white officer. Posobiec and the photographer are both white. More officers arrive to contain the duo.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779823864742305792
“DC Police Detained and Frisked me for Anti-Hillary Demonstration”
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779825939157028864
“The DC Police said I could legally be detained bc I was ‘threatening the President’ – hours after he left area”
The Black officer demands Posobiec shows his face and provide ID. Posobiec raises the mask and asks if he is breaking the law..
The Black officer says, “Yes you are! You’re not providing me ID,” and adds it is because he is holding a sign and “holding some type of, if you show me your ID I’ll know who you are and I’ll let you go on your way.”
Posobiec gives the officer his ID.
The officer then orders his officers to search Posobiec.
The audio is difficult to hear at times, but the Black officer demands to know why Posobiec is protesting. He answers he is not protesting but is (garbled.)
The Black officer says, “You can do that anywhere. You can do that on You Tube. You can do that on Twitter. Why are you here?” Posobiec’s response is garbled.
The Black officer then demands, “Do you have any weapons on you?” More back and forth and then the Black officer takes the Hillary sign from Posobiec and puts it on the ground and then orders his hands raised and put on his head and then to turn around.
As the Black officer starts to search Posobiec he focuses on the photographer filming and orders his officers to search the photographer saying, “You okay? You wanna check him out too cuz he’s like doing all the filming. Let’s make sure he doesn’t have anything on him.”
The Black officer orders the camera being taken out of the photographer’s hands so he can be ‘properly’ searched.
The camera continues filming at ground level while police search and interrogate the photographer who after a while appears to sit down. Posobiec can be seen a few feet away sitting down on the sidewalk being detained by officers.
After eight minutes of being detained the Black officer says to Posobiec, “You are perfectly within your rights but I’d advise you to (garbled) but if you come back (garbled,)” The lecture is hard to hear, but the Black officer claims he doesn’t care about Posobiec’s politics and warns him that someone might (attack) him over the sign and the that he” wouldn’t come back to save you. You’re free to go.”
The Black officer then walks over to the photographer to repeat the lecture, saying “It is not a wise move to do it here, but you can do it here. (Garbled) coming back possibly to save you. Alright? You want to go the White House or…Lafayette Park if you’re under 25 people that’s not a problem you can still make the same statement people feel comfortable…This particular venue is not a wise place. But you can do, alright you’re free to go, alright?”
Posobiec then starts speaking to the camera that there were numerous Black Lives Matter protesters around who were not being detained by police.
Posobiec vows to continue his protest at the location.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779785811998941184
This writer was a prolific conservative activist with the Washington, D.C.chapter of FreeRepublic.com during the Clinton and Bush years and never witnessed or experienced any officer with federal or D.C. police agencies ask for ID or search a peaceful protester acting and dressed similarly to Prosobiec. The late FReeper Doctor Raoul Deming would wear masks and costumes to protest Bill and Hillary Clinton and was never searched or had ID demanded in D.C. over the course of hundreds of protests.
In fact D.C. has some of the most lenient laws for protesters that allow spontaneous street demonstrations that block traffic where arrests can be made only after three prolonged warnings.
Posobiec was in a public place, not blocking traffic, and was not acting belligerent or threatening. He was exercising his First Amendment rights but as the officer implied because his audience was Black people, he should take his protest elsewhere like the White House of Lafayette Park (same thing, really, as a protest locale.)
Posobiec posted more images on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779846211599753216
“This is what happens when you hold an Anti Hillary Demonstration in DC”
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779851784558968832
“Jawline on point”
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779824065850773504
“They said my can of Monster was alcohol and were about to arrest me for it”
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779824293626650624
“I was polite and compliant and within my #1A rights and after they checked in with their captain I was told “You are free but not welcome””
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/779846490969759744
“But the people want to hear the truth”