Coeur d’Alene Police Threaten Preachers With Arrest to Protect Gay Pride Event in City Park – Opinion

In 1937 the US Supreme Court decided that the First Amendment covered the state governments just like it did the federal government. That is, state and local government, just as Congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Someone should make a call to whoever is running Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and spread the word to them.

Today a group called the “North Idaho Pride Alliance” is holding an event in the Coeur d’Alene city park. It is in a public space and, according to the group, open to everyone because what is sexual depravity worth if you can’t do it in public, amirite?

The event was scheduled opposite another event called “Guns d’Alene” which celebrates the Second Amendment and is generally opposed to the objectives of “North Idaho Pride Alliance.” Other counterprotests the “gay pride” event were also anticipated.

This was how the authorities set up their day.

Tony Stewart, Secretary of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations said that groups are entitled to peaceful assembly.

But he said someone can’t threaten, physically harass or confront another.

“A line is drawn you can’t cross,” he told The Press.

Stewart said if one group does try to shut down or intimidate another, he’s confident police will handle it.

“One group does not have the right to deny another group or disrupt what they are doing,” he said.

According to the ACLU’s records, Mr. Stewart’s ground rules are problematic, if they can be called illegal.

A small group of non-violent Christian preachers appeared to counterprotest.

Coeur d’Alene: Police Officers Removing Christian Preachers from North Idaho All-Ages LGBT Event hosting Satanists & Drag Queenspic.twitter.com/6jQQatqqiz

— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) June 11, 2022

At 0:49 in the above video, you can hear a cop tell the man “do not come back or you’re going to jail.” The police also spout some nonsense about a “powered” sound device being illegal, that is simply bullsh**. Courts have ruled that the type of sound amplification devices carried can’t be banned from a public space.

Coeur d’Alene Idaho Police Continue Removing Christians from LGBT Event — Satanic Temple & Drag Queens Present at “Family-Friendly” Gatheringpic.twitter.com/lbSc613a30

— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) June 11, 2022

BREAKING: Police Detain Christian Preacher at Coeur d’Alene LGBT “Pride in the Park” event pic.twitter.com/3hKN9otaFB

— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) June 11, 2022

These are just a few examples of First Amendment violations, which should have been evident to any dimmest bulbs. Dearborn, MI paid over $100,000 in settlement to a suit brought by Christian ministers trying to share the Gospel at a street festival that was predominantly Muslim. The City restricted ministers’ access to areas outside the venue. The federal appeals court decided that they were permitted to give literature and preach at the event. Aside from the cash, Dearborn was also required to issue an abject apologies.

While it is completely understandable that the “pride” event would rather not have the truth and consequences of their aberrant life style thrown in their faces and revealed to the unwitting participants who think that “drag queen story hour” and other grooming events are normal, they don’t have a right to hold the event on public property free of protest. They certainly don’t have the right to use Couer d’Alene cops as stormtroopers to prevent them from getting their panties all wadded.

Last week I posted on the folly of blaming cops for using common sense and reflexively defending them with the “Back the Blue” worshipfulness, see Washington Post Tries to Make an Anti-Police Scandal of a Perfectly Reasonable Decision. Police were willing to follow any directive given, as we witnessed during the COVID panic. Sara Brady from Meridian, Idaho was arrested for her use of a playground.

The blue is your friend, but do you support the blue? https://t.co/CR0pohgfsr

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) June 11, 2022

One can sympathize with the desire of Coeur d’Alene police to keep opposing groups apart and perhaps avoid physical confrontations. It is easy to sympathize and support the police efforts to stop street crime through stopping potential criminals. Fortunately, we don’t yet live in an era where “pre-crime” is the law of the land. The “pride” bunch had the right to assemble and spread their message to whoever wished to listen. Government protection against a different viewpoint was what they didn’t have the right to.