A congressman from Ohio had cops grab the cameras of constituents during a town hall meeting. Steve Chabot, a Republican, had cell phones and cameras confiscated in order to “prevent an embarrassing Youtube video from making the rounds,” according to Carlos Miller, who runs a blog documenting efforts by the state to stifle the First Amendment rights of photographers.
See video of the incident below.
Police said the cameras were taken “to protect the constituents.” A local television station, however, was allowed to videotape the meeting and the brazen move by Chabot and the cops.
Think Progress, the Soros-funded media operation, also reported the incident, primarily because Chabot is an establishment Republican and protesters outside the event called for more taxes. The Democrat blog reported:
Media were permitted to record the event, making the ban on citizen cameras all the more baffling. Clearly no “security” threat existed; rather, as one of Chabot’s staffers told ThinkProgress, they wanted to “prevent” people from “making a show” of the event. Indeed, Chabot and his staff were worried enough about citizens voicing their anger at his policies that they only accepted pre-screened questions chosen by the congressman’s staff.
This should not be perplexing – the controlled corporate media can be trusted to not embarrass Rep. Chabot, at least not on points that matter, while citizens cannot.
It is also interesting that Think Progress attributes the current economic implosion to Chabot and the Republicans when Democrat Obama is in the White House and allegedly in control.
In fact, neither Obama or the Republicans control the economy. It is controlled by a Federal Reserve that has doubled the monetary base since last August.
316 Responses to “Cops Confiscate Cameras at Ohio Congressman’s Town Hall”
David Locke says:
I’d like to have seen a citizen’s arrest right there. The cops stole a phone and a camera, both of them worth over $100. That’s grand larceny. Advise the cop that he’s committed a felony and that you don’t want to have to add “resisting arrest” to the charges. If he offers to give the phone back. tell him he’s sure as heck going to give the phone back, and the judge might appreciate that, but he’s still committed a felony, and he’s still under arrest. Be a nice guy, and let him radio for a replacement for the meeting, but then take him away.
Apparently to avoid potentially embarrassing confrontations many members of Congress are avoiding Town Hall meetings, opting instead for $$/plate dinners.