Three arrested, cop says "I have weapons on" after FERC denies public access to meeting
On the 14th of May,citizens from 8 different areas harmed by gas fracking, gas pipelines, and gas export projects attempted to attend the monthly meeting of FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.Many were denied access to the meeting room, so they started chanting in the auditorium. When they were escorted out, cops detained 5 and arrested three.During the first arrest, one cop demanding more personal space saying "I have weapons on."He mentioned his weapons not once but twice
In many jurisdictions, to remind someone that you are armed during any kind of argument or confrontation is enough to sustain a conviction for brandishing the weapon in question.
The (possibly covert camera) video from inside the FERC meeting shows cops "escorting" protesters who stood up, made statements and left. At one point the blatantly illegal order "turn the camera off" is given. It was one of these protesters who a cops was lying to outside, saying he only "needed to talk to her" when he first invoked the weapons on his belt, then illegally arrested her.
This meeting was moved to May 14th from May 21 in a failed attempt to evade protesters and silence the public. Previous FERC meetings have featured the ejection of protesters against the rubberstamping of fracked gas projects such as Dominion's gas export facility at Cove Point, MD. In at least one case security guards or cops stole a camera from a protester and threatened to delete video footage. FERC regulations explicitly require them to permit the public to video "open" meetings, but several times in a a row this regulation has been ignored or defied.
A third round of major, every-day protests against FERC will begin on Thursday, the 21st of May.
Citizens harmed by fracking, pipelines, and gas export projects gather in front of FERC
This is the cop who twice reminded activists "I have weapons on," I had to assume this meant he might draw his pistol
