Even in a Pandemic, ‘Constitutional Rights Still Exist’
Raleigh Police Department: ‘Protesting Is a Non-Essential Activity’
The government has broad emergency powers, but that doesn’t mean the Constitution is suspended
In response to a protest calling for North Carolina’s economy to reopen yesterday, the Raleigh Police Department arrested at least one person for violating the state’s stay-at-home orders.
But wait, don’t you have a constitutional right to assemble? Not so fast, says the Raleigh Police Department:
What part of the governor’s order was violated here?
— Thos. (@thmsftz) April 14, 2020
This blithe assertion that fundamental First Amendment activities are “non-essential” did not go over well, to put it mildly
and it got this from the state senate:
and the Rahleigh police apparently ‘doubled down’.
in effect: Honest! We is just following orders!