Gust post by Kristinn Taylor
Local media is reporting that the Obama administration has taken control of access to two Ferguson, Missouri townhall meetings on the Mike Brown shooting being held Monday evening. The Department of Justice has limited attendance to Ferguson residents only and has ordered ID checks to gain entry. DOJ banned reporters. In a First Amendment irony, the meetings are being held in churches: Wellspring and Pour Lady of Guadalupe.
The shooting of unarmed 18 year old black robber by white police officer Darren Wilson after a confrontation that occurred just minutes after Brown robbed a convenience store has stoked national controversy.
The meetings, originally organized by the Ferguson government, were hijacked by the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service (aka the Peacekeepers) just days before the meetings were to be held.
This is the same DOJ unit that was accused of helping organize protests against George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case.
David Hunn, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported he was ejected from the meeting by the Obama administration.
Just got kicked out of DOJ #Ferguson meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe. Signed in, showed ID, sat down.
— davidhunn (@davidhunn) September 22, 2014
“Just got kicked out of DOJ #Ferguson meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe. Signed in, showed ID, sat down.”
There were reports that the Justice Department ordered the windows at the meetings closed to prevent the barred media from even hearing what was being said at the meetings.
This is the same Department of Justice that opposes voter ID laws.
Casey Nolen of KSDK reported via Twitter on the federal government’s control of the meeting.
“Police checking ID’s for entry to #Ferguson town hall.”
No proof of #Ferguson residence no entry town hall. Turned away: local pastor, biz owner & Canfield Apts resident. pic.twitter.com/YwMkL9Fova
— Casey Nolen KSDK (@CaseyNolen) September 22, 2014
The DOJ is making the rules.
#Ferguson police say DOJ making the rules. No proof of residency no town hall entry. pic.twitter.com/0N5CyNYWRf
— Casey Nolen KSDK (@CaseyNolen) September 22, 2014
The DOJ closed the windows.
We hear intermittent applause but not much else from #Ferguson town hall. Police say DOJ wants windows kept closed. pic.twitter.com/QvEGD4XO59
— Casey Nolen KSDK (@CaseyNolen) September 22, 2014
Nolen’s fellow KSDK reporter Christina Coleman confirmed the media blackout by the Obama administration.
Ryan Reilly with the Huffington Post reported a Ferguson resident was kicked out by the Obama administration for recording the meeting.
.@search4swag — an actual #Ferguson resident — says he was asked to leave by #DOJ representative for recording town hall
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) September 22, 2014
The person who was ejected was let back in with the promise to not record. The person took to live tweeting from the town hall–apparently without further harassment.
I just received an apology from the organizers from Doj.
— Search4Swag (@search4swag) September 22, 2014
“I just received an apology from the organizers from Doj.”
The Obama administration’s war on the First Amendent continues.
