CHP violate constitutional rights?

This video was made during the 2008 presidential primary elections in Livermore, California. I walked up to a group of Ron Paul supporters standing on a freeway overpass holding signs. There was a CHP officer talking to them.. when I walked up I thought he was writing them a ticket, which is why I turned on my camera and asked what was going on.

There are no California statutes against holding signs by roadways. The only law that comes anywhere close is the California Vehicle Code 21465, and is about unofficial traffic signs; this clearly doesn't apply to their campaign signs.

However, the CHP asked the demonstrators to leave. They asked what law they had broken, and he wouldn't tell them, which is why they asked for his name and badge number, and his commanding officer's contact info.

www.independentnews.com/uploads/pdf/1_11092008_1221081775.pdf Local newspaper displays a picture of Alameda County Sup. holding a press conference on the same overpass. Not only is this press conference just as capable of distracting the drivers below, but Mr. Haggarty is also pictured with a fake Interstate-580 sign, which is forbidden in the California Vehicle Code 21465.

By the way, this sort of activism had been going on in Alameda County for years by anti-Republicans : http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/05/19/18242811.php See here for pictures from Oakland and Berkeley where similar protests regularly occur without CHP interference.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• free
• speech
• first
• amendment
• ron
• paul
• republican
• party
• grassroots
• demonstration
• police
• california
• highway
• patrol
• freeway
• peaceably
• assemble

[encorekaraoke]

Billboards are distracting especially the lighted ones but people doing something with a banner up on an overpass would be extremely distracting. There are places that are more appropriate for sure but I don't think that an overpass of a highway where people are driving 70+ is a good idea at all. The message is not worth causing an accident. As valuable as it is I'm sure they would be devastated if someone got hurt from their actions. I would. Maybe that's just me.

[valakin]

@encorekaraoke By the only logic you could be going off of, do you also complain about Bilboards?

[encorekaraoke]

Not safe!! Not Cool!!! Causing a traffic accident and possibly killing people is NOT the way to get a message across.That was pretty dumb.

[savagenomore]

so if you aren't breaking the law then stand your fucking ground or they will never get the message....

[gerrdude]

I'm a Ron Paul supporter but I agree with the police. Where your standing is very dangerous to you standing on that overpass and to those driving on the highway. I have never in my 34 years of life ever seen someone standing on an overpass with a banner. It's like playing with your cell phone driving in a car.

[MrWatchdawg77]

@Kerns0Phoegon You're talking about a prostitute aren't you!?  lol

[Kerns0Phoegon]

It's amazing how Fing stupid some people are. and I do mean the people who made this video.

I don't care much about elections of which side you stand on, but honestly it's a traffic hazzard.

I've seen females in low cut clothing get ticketed for being a traffic safety issue (granted they were standing on the sidewalks all day, trying to get attention.. but still)

[badpanda84]

At 1:48 -- a chair on the road is a traffic hazzard -- which is why it is removed when practical..

[xvadarx]

Great idea, bad location.

[badmonk3829]

that is a traffic hazard, anything that could cause a driver to take his/her eyes off the road is a traffic safety hazard, even females with less the average clothing can be sited as a traffic safety hazard