Westwood Hills,KS police @ home demo [RAW VIDEO]

On 7/3/10 at approximately 4:30PM BITE CLUB OF KC
engaged in a home demonstration against Dr. Dianne Durham of the University of Kansas Medical Center. As Animal Rights activists we were protesting against her involvement in KUMC.
There were seven of us and we stood in front of Durham's home in Westwood Hills, KS. We were on a public sidewalk (not blocking it) and were chanting anti-vivisection slogans, which were shaming in nature, but not threatening in any way. Several neighbors approached us and took the fliers we had brought to distribute.

Approximately 20 minutes into our demo, an unmarked Dodge Charger, a motorcycle, and (I believe) one other police vehicle parked about a block away from us. Three uniformed officers got out of their vehicles and the lead officer (a tall and stout white male who was mid to late fifties, wore glasses, had gray hair, wore a West wood Hills police uniform immediately and forcefully told us that we didn't have a permit to be there and to "leave Westwood."

The rest of our group retreated down the block to our cars, but my friend, Kyle, and I continued chanting. The three officers approached us Kyle and I stopped chanting, I asked them about our First Amendment rights to protest on public property, and we turned to face them.John Schuepbach told Kyle to turn the camera off and reached towards it as if to take it away. I told Kyle to turn it off, as it was readily apparent that despite the fact that we were doing nothing illegal, were unarmed, and obviously posed no imminent threat, John Schuepbach was coming at us with a fascist attitude.

I reiterated my question about our First Amendment rights and he again told us that we had to have a permit and to leave Westwood. I told him that I was simply trying to have a dialogue with him, but he steadfastly refused to reason with me in any way, shape or form. When I asked him if he'd like to repeat his position about the First Amendment on camera, he grabbed his cuffs and said, "You're coming with me."

As the demo was over, I told him that we would simply leave peaceably. Astoundingly, he agreed. That was about the ONLY reasonable action/decision he made.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• KS KC MO police
• John Schuepbach
• KUMC
• Westwood hills KS
• KCMO
• Jason Miller
• animal activists
• AETA
• Durham
• anti-vivisection
• home demo
• home protest
• First Amendment rights
• filming cops
• tape cops
• film cops
• KS police
• ACLU
• legal rights
• filming law enforcement
• fight cops not pigs

[TheKcwildguy]

Maybe you don't have any business going to a persons HOME for your stupid protest. Maybe I should protest outside of your house for animal research. Maybe you should never get another medication that has been tested in any way on an animal. At least then we won't have you around anymore to do illegal protests without a permit and scream First Amendment!!!!!

[417VEGAN]

@TheKcwildguy

Uh,wow where do I start.

I'll just says this-protesting is NOT illegal...one does not need a permit to protest in Westwood Hills.You should know the laws where you live asshole.

[Viktir666]

Wow that uptight asshole was about to physically touch your camera. What an asshole for supposedly upholding the law and not even knowing the laws on public filming.

[DJAnthonyillWill]

I'm still shocked at how pigs are so scared of cameras. They treat them worse then a gun!!

[kimberlily1983]

Yep, as far as I know you guys had every right to be doing what you were doing. I suppose human rights don't matter much in America and elsewhere either, do they?