Posted on 08/30/2012 7:01:17 AM PDT by marktwain
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland police shut down the Burnside Bridge and detained 13 bearded men who said they were headed to a photo shoot to raise money for breast cancer research Wednesday evening.
According to spokesman Robert King, police received a report that a man on the bridge had an assault rifle. Officers shut down the bridge just after 7:30 p.m. while they investigated.
Police found 13 bearded men, many of whom wore military style uniforms. One of the men had an assault rifle, King said. They were taken to the Central Precinct.
It's unclear if the assault rifle was loaded.
Several of the men told KATU News they were on their way to take a photo under the "Portland, Oregon" sign near the Burnside Bridge to raise money for breast cancer research. The men said the photo was going to be part of a Beards for Breasts calendar.
"It's from Seattle," said Jedediah Aacker. "This girl, Sugar June, does it. She puts together a calendar for all the beard clubs around the nation. Beards for breasts."
Someone called police when they saw one of the men holding a rifle on the bridge.
"We were wearing camo gear and stuff walking up to do the shoot and sure enough police show up, boom, arrested us," said Aacker.
"We were just a bunch of dudes walking across the bridge wearing camo getting rad."
King said two of the men were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for handling the rifle. It's unclear if any of the other men were charged with a crime.
The men told KATU there were 10 of them. Police said 13 were detained.
The bridge was opened at around 8:15.
"We didn't mean to shake up the community or shut down the Burnside Bridge," said Matthew Jenkins. "Just trying to save boobs, you know?"
It is legal to carry unloaded rifles in Portland.
It is legal to wear military style uniforms in Portland.
I wonder if they will sue for false arrest and be rewarded with a settlement, as has happened in so many other states.
Why, is it against the law for it to be loaded?
“Just trying to save boobs.” I love these guys!
” “We didn’t mean to shake up the community or shut down the Burnside Bridge,” “
Sir. You didn’t shut down the bridge.
The Gestapo shut down the bridge.
So one of ‘em had a rifle with a full auto switch?
I, for one, appreciate law enforcement for checking out scary hairy dudes with guns, no matter the flavor.
Amen.
I appreciate them checking, cautiously, but appropriately and politely. I do not appreciate them arresting for handling firearms. There is nothing inherently disorderly about carrying or handling a rifle. Unless there is something missing from the story, the police crossed the line from law enforcement "to protect and to serve" to Gestapo.
************
Interesting proposition...
File the suit with publicity promising to donate the proceeds and penalties to the breast cancer charity...
Then keep the pressure on until Portland issues a written and broadcast apology...
..and coughs up a six-figure settlement/donation...
Plus attorney's fees and court costs... of course.
I haven’t had enough coffee this morning.
I read “Burnside Bridge” and immediately thought Antietam.
The "checking" part was fine ... it was the "arresting" part that should have you worried. How are you going to like it when they decide to arrest you because they don't like something that you're doing that's legal to do?
“Gestapo” is only for old folks. “Stasi” is a bit more current.
I take it you are over, say, 50 or 60, as I am?
A somewhat better result for an Open-Carry advocate in Southern Oregon recently:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj9wahCTz08
Even in a simpler time when 2A rights were better respected, a crew of thirteen uniformed men under arms would raise concerns.
The police would have been remiss not to look into it.
I agree. The KGB and gestapo types in LEO need to be discouraged from this type of behavior. But then, what can you expect from the People’s Republic of Portland? They’re probably comfortable with KGB tactics.
Yes, and the worst thing about it is, this isn’t an isolated incident at all. It’s become SOP to use disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, etc charges to harass people who are behaving legally, but in a way that the socialists don’t like. They can’t pass gun control in the legislature, so they just make people wary of carrying a firearm outside of their home, for fear of police harassment.
I don’t mind either.
I do mind them arresting them for exercising their 2A rights and trying to slap disorderly conduct charges on them for exercising their 2A rights.
I hope they get their asses sued off. This is not a soviet police state.
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