Defying New Anti-Protest Ordinance at Humboldt County Courthouse

New Anti-Protest Ordinance Targets Occupy Eureka (now going 176 days & nights!) and Criminalizes ALL Dissent on Humboldt County Courthouse Grounds

Eureka, CA: Friday night on the steps of the Humboldt County Courthouse, four individuals holding a vigil for First Amendment rights were arrested in violation of a newly passed “urgency” ordinance. According to the ordinance, passed by the Humboldt Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 27th, no demonstration is allowed on courthouse property between 9:30 at night and 6:00 in the morning, and no signs are to be posted at any time. The vague and sweeping language of the ordinance makes illegal almost all free speech and assembly activity by any group at the courthouse, and criminalizes ordinary activity, such as food sharing and leaving property temporarily outside the courthouse.

Also, questioned by many, is the “emergency” nature with which the Board passed the ordinance, avoiding the normal public process of two public hearings and a 30 day wait for the measure to go into effect.

In response to the ordinance being proposed, the Occupy Eureka Civil Liberties group collected over 250 signatures over two days opposing the ordinance, more than double the amount of complaints lodged at the courthouse over a three month period. These complaints were used to justify the “urgency” aspect of the ordinance.

While being touted as a “health and safety” ordinance intended to “clean up” the courthouse for use during business hours, it prohibits the hanging of any sign and erection of any stage, banner, or canopy (and thus, exercise of free speech) at a location that has been the traditional meeting point for peaceful demonstration for over 40 years.

“We know that this unconstitutional ordinance was passed to target the Occupy Eureka protest. However, not only does it criminalize constitutional activity for Occupy Eureka, it has grave significance for any persons wishing to demonstrate in Humboldt,” said Hans Ashbaucher.

A day after the ordinance passed, on a fence erected in November to block people from gathering on the courthouse lawn, local nurse Pat Kanzler hung an American flag banner with the words “Freedom of Speech” painted on the bottom. Ms. Kanzler was arrested for violation of the new county ordinance.

The local crackdown in Humboldt County is part of a larger national trend of anti-protest legislation and police attacks on civil liberties.

James Decker declares “Right now in Humboldt County, a young man sits in jail for participating in a peaceful vigil on the courthouse steps. Taken with the increasing repression throughout the country, these are indeed chilling days for democracy.”

Download PDF of this Press Release: http://www.box.com/s/6c823824b777cf2aa07b

Link to so-called "Emergency Ordinance:" http://www.box.com/s/0ad55ec4376441ebbcc9
[the first part is the justification for it being "urgently" pushed through. the second part is what has been added to the Humboldt County Code]