SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

A Twitter statement about blocking freeways got me into hot water

May 2, 2017, 3:34 PM

May Day...

SPD orders crowd out of Westlake. Pushes crowd back to sidewalks at 4th and Pine after scuffle. (Hanna Scott, KIRO Radio)

(Hanna Scott, KIRO Radio)

So I made a statement on Twitter about the riots that were going to happen on May Day yesterday.

All I said was that if someone decides to block me on a freeway, I’m going to warn people that they are holding me against my will. I said I would call 911 and ask the police for help. If that didn’t work, I would warn people that I was going to drive slow and make my way out. I don’t want to hurt anyone.

I made this statement on Twitter and all hell broke loose. It’s not a threat; it’s simply a statement of what I would do if I was held against my will.

What about my rights?

Modern Seattle seems to think that their right to peaceably assemble on a freeway trumps your right to peacefully assemble at your home. I totally support people marching peaceful, with a permit for labor rights. I think it’s neat.

But I would never consider blocking someone. Would you ever think that it’s your right to block someone?

You either back the Bill of Rights for everyone or you don’t. A mob breaking the law, standing on the freeway, forcing people to listen, is a violent act. It’s intimidation. That is not a respect for the 1st Amendment.

As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.

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A Twitter statement about blocking freeways got me into hot water