After declaring a curfew at Legislative Plaza last night, Gov. Haslam has sent THP state troopers with a SWAT team to clear the area. An Occupy Nashville livestream report from the scene says approx. 100 officers began arresting a small group of peaceful demonstrators at around 4AM (3AM Nashville time). The detainees were taken away on two Dept. of Corrections buses (separate buses for men and women?). There are no reports of violence or injuries, but there was an unconfirmed report of a woman possibly having a seizure.

UPDATE: News report says about two dozen arrests...

UPDATE: Judge Orders Release Of Occupy Nashville Protestors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A judge has ruled that there was no probable cause to arrest the Occupy Nashville protestors, and has ordered their release. The judge made the ruling just hours after two dozen protestors were taken into custody by Tennessee State Troopers on Legislative Plaza.

bizgrrl's picture

The Tennessean has a poll,

The Tennessean has a poll, Should the Occupy Nashville protesters be removed?

84.76% (2,815 votes) say NO. Go add you support for Occupy Nashville.

bizgrrl's picture

From Occupy Nashville live

From Occupy Nashville live feed. Government contacts to request freedom for Occupy Nashville protesters to be heard at Legislative Plaza.

OccupyNashville_GovContacts_20111028.jpg

bizgrrl's picture

Occupy Nashville live feed.

cafkia's picture

...and Bill Haslam continues

...and Bill Haslam continues to predictably disappoint.

michael kaplan's picture

predictable, yes ... but

predictable, yes ... but what's 'disappointing' about the ruling class trying to protect their own interests?

cafkia's picture

I'm disappointed that I

I'm disappointed that I wasn't wrong and that others weren't right. I did not support or vote for Bill H because of that "R" behind his name. Several folks pointed to his mayoral stint and proclaimed that he was "not that kind of republican" or that he was just a republican so he could be elected and then he would govern as a hardcore moderate. I was unconvinced and voted accordingly. However, I willingly admit that I really wanted to be wrong. I wanted to have to state here and other places online, as well as physical spots where politics is discussed, about just how wrong I was. That disappoints me but as it is what I expected, I'm hardly surprised.

R. Neal's picture

San Diego

Police in riot gear cleared Occupy San Diego protestors out of Civic Center Plaza early Friday, making some arrests in the process, a police officer said.

OccupySD says their media team was also arrested while their video camera was streaming and the cops were trying to figure out how to turn it off.

Min's picture

And people thought I was being hyperbolic...

...when I started referring to the governor as "Il Duce". Fascist creep.

Min's picture

BTW...

I intend to mail the governor a copy of Section 23 of the Tennessee Constitution, because he apparently hasn't read it.

§ 23. Right of assembly; redress of grievances
That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances, or other proper purposes, by address or remonstrance.

I encourage you to do the same.

EricLykins's picture

Ilissa Gold: "Sign that the

Ilissa Gold:
"Sign that the world is coming to an end--I just retweeted Bill Hobbs."

State troopers waited to 3 a.m. to raid #OccupyNashville, hoping media would be gone. Cowardly anti-1st Amendment move by Gov. Haslam.

EricLykins's picture

Fox 17 just thanked occupy

Fox 17 just thanked occupy Nashville for taking care of their camera man last night after being hurt! And calle out the sate troopers for not helping

"Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!"

Somebody's picture

"We don't have the resources

"We don't have the resources to go out and in effect babysit protesters 24-7 ... at the level that would have been necessary to address their concerns," [Safety Commissioner Bill] Gibbon said.

It is unclear how the overnight curfew will be enforced against pedestrians who frequently cut through the area after leaving nearby performing arts and concert venues.

"That's a good very question," Gibbons said. "And we're going to take a reasonable approach on that: Was a person knowingly and intentionally violating the curfew, or was that person just unaware of it?"

Even if you're generous about the whole time and place argument for keeping a lid on public demonstrations, it would seem that Gibbons is treading on thin ice with inconsistent application of the law.

First, to justify clearing the protesters out, he suggests a lack of resources to maintain security with the protesters in place, but then produces the resources to clear them out, and to maintain the presence necessary to keep the protesters from coming back.

Second, he suggests that people who are just passing through, and who might be unaware of the curfew restrictions would be allowed to pass unhindered, but those who are there to protest would be treated differently. Revisiting item #1, it seems obvious that it would take a significant ongoing presence on the plaza to sort these differing circumstances out.

I don't think this will pass muster if it gets in front of a judge.

Min's picture

I would also point out...

...that the anti-income tax folks circled the Capitol in their cars, honking their horns, throwing rocks, and completely disrupting the traffic in that area, and no one hauled them off to jail.

redmondkr's picture

Between football stories and

Between football stories and making sure everybody is aware of the need to wear black and orange this weekend, WBIR ran a snippet with Il Duce saying they called out the brownshirts because "We had received complaints from legislators and citizens and from Metro Nashville as well".

Yeah, I bet we had a lot of complaints from legislators.

I wonder if it's still okay for Campfield to park his Honda on the sidewalk.

Min's picture

Speaking of Campfield...

He's come out and expressed support for Occupy Nashville's right to assemble. Naturally, he did it in his usual, ass-backward way, but still.

I guess even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.

michael kaplan's picture

dress rehearsal

when KPD dispatched its 'platoons' during the local nazi rally, i think i posted that this was a 'dress rehearsal' for things to come ...

S Carpenter's picture

That was a shameful abuse of

That was a shameful abuse of executive state power. I'm heartened by the impartial magistrate's refusal to sign warrants.

EricLykins's picture

The Tennesseean: Night Court

The Tennesseean:

Night Court Magistrate Tom Nelson sent an email to Davidson County’s General Sessions judges explaining why he refused the THP’s request to sign criminal trespassing warrants against Occupy Nashville protesters.

In the email, obtained by The Tennessean, Nelson said he ordered all of the protesters released from custody because the state had not given the protesters adequate notice that it was changing the rules regarding how and when they could assemble on Legislative Plaza.

Nelson said “until the new rules and regulations were promulgated there was no crime of Criminal Trespass pertaining to this group of persons for the past 3 weeks.’’

He noted “It is of particular consternation that the rules and curfew were enacted after a protest movement and occupation of Legislative Plaza had been tolerated for just over 3 weeks, with no notice that the group members were involved in criminal activity.’’

S Carpenter's picture

Way to do your job,

Way to do your job, Judge.

Rachel's picture

Yup. I hope he's not elected

Yup. I hope he's not elected tho; the right wingers will be calling for his head. "Activist judge! Activist judge!"

EricLykins's picture

Round II A fellow reporter

Round II

A fellow reporter asked the trooper arresting Meador if he really intended to lock up a journalist there to cover the events. According to the reporter, the trooper replied, "You want to be next?"

Developing.

bizgrrl's picture

No authoritiy to authorize a curfew.

In the second round of arrests at Legislative Plaza in Nashville, the judge once again dismisses the charges against the protesters and sets them free.

Night Court Magistrate Tom Nelson said, "I have reviewed the regulations of the state of Tennessee, and I can find no authority anywhere for anyone to authorize a curfew anywhere on Legislative Plaza."

Also, two arrested protesters were injuried.

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