80 Year Old Man Arrested For Wearing Anti-war T-shirt In Mall

[Hugo Chavez]

An 80-year-old church deacon was removed from the Smith Haven Mall yesterday in a wheelchair and arrested by police for refusing to remove a T-shirt protesting the Iraq War.

Police said that Don Zirkel, of Bethpage, was disturbing shoppers at the Lake Grove mall with his T-shirt, which had what they described as “graphic anti-war images.” Zirkel, a deacon at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Wyandanch, said his shirt had the death tolls of American military personnel and Iraqis - 4,000 and 1 million - and the words “Dead” and “Enough.” The shirt also has three blotches resembling blood splatters.

Police said in a release last night that Zirkel was handing out anti-war pamphlets to mallgoers and that mall security told him to stop and turn his shirt inside out. Zirkel refused to turn his shirt inside out and wouldn’t leave, police said. Security placed him on “civilian arrest” and called police. When police arrived, Zirkel passively resisted attempts to bring him to a police car, the release said.

cont... http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/30/7974/

[Hugo Chavez]

this, as bush spreads "democracy" around the world. 

and this kind of crap started right after 9/11... There were other mall cases like this, just not with an 80 year old.

[240 is Back]

fcking libs with their lib clothing.  let's see how he likes an orange gitmo jumpsuit!

[G o a t b o y]

A mall is private property.  If I'm the mall owner or manager, and I don't want the guy doing this is my mall, I have the right to ask him to leave.  If he refuses, the police can arrest him for trespassing.

Next time, he should find a mall manager more amenable to his activities, or choose a public park or sidewalk instead.

[Hugo Chavez]

A mall is private property.  If I'm the mall owner or manager, and I don't want the guy doing this is my mall, I have the right to ask him to leave.  If he refuses, the police can arrest him for trespassing.

Next time, he should find a mall manager more amenable to his activities, or choose a public park or sidewalk instead.

you must admit, it a bit dickheaded to flip out at this level over some dude's T-Shirt...  I understand if they guy is making some kind of political front in the mall, but shit, under the same idea, I could be booted for wearing, well really anything.  Everyone with an AC/DC shirt, gone... It's a tad anal.  Or anybody with a dem shirt, gone, but republican shirt, no problem...  If that is their deal, they should post it on the doors to the mall so you know, not up and flip on someone with a political T-Shirt, that's just fucking dumb, I don't care if it's the mall owner's right, it's dumb.

[G o a t b o y]

you must admit, it a bit dickheaded to flip out at this level over some dude's T-Shirt...  I understand if they guy is making some kind of political front in the mall, but shit, under the same idea, I could be booted for wearing, well really anything.  Everyone with an AC/DC shirt, gone... It's a tad anal.  Or anybody with a dem shirt, gone, but republican shirt, no problem...  If that is their deal, they should post it on the doors to the mall so you know, not up and flip on someone with a political T-Shirt, that's just fucking dumb, I don't care if it's the mall owner's right, it's dumb.

It wasn't just the shirt, he was handing out pamphlets and making a nuisance of himself. 

In general, I'm one of the biggest supporters of free speech, but I also repsect property rights.  Have you ever worked in a place that's open to the public, a store, a bar, a hotel, a theatre, whatever, and had some guy come in panhandling or soliciting or doing something that annoys you or your customers?  If so, you can understand why you have the absolute right to remove him.

[stormshadow]

A mall is private property.  If I'm the mall owner or manager, and I don't want the guy doing this is my mall, I have the right to ask him to leave.  If he refuses, the police can arrest him for trespassing.

Next time, he should find a mall manager more amenable to his activities, or choose a public park or sidewalk instead.

EXACTLY

He wants to take advantage of someone else's business in order to promote his own agenda.

People don't come to the mall to support protests, they come to purchase goods in a neutral environment.

[Hugo Chavez]

It wasn't just the shirt, he was handing out pamphlets and making a nuisance of himself. 

In general, I'm one of the biggest supporters of free speech, but I also repsect property rights.  Have you ever worked in a place that's open to the public, a store, a bar, a hotel, a theatre, whatever, and had some guy come in panhandling or soliciting or doing something that annoys you or your customers?  If so, you can understand why you have the absolute right to remove him.

Oh it has happended where people were booted for so much as walking through the mall wearing an anti war or anti bush shirt, not passing out shit.

[G o a t b o y]

Oh it has happended where people were booted for so much as walking through the mall wearing an anti war or anti bush shirt.

Maybe it has, I was just referring to this specific case and the facts presented.  I agree that it's a bit over-the-top if someone who was minding his own business and not making a scene gets tossed just for wearing a shirt, but the property owner still gets to make that call.  I probably wouldn't patronize an establishment that would do that, but I wouldn't question their right to do it.

[tonymctones]

Oh it has happended where people were booted for so much as walking through the mall wearing an anti war or anti bush shirt, not passing out shit.

plz give some links to this as i find it somewhat hard to believe, thanks

[Dos Equis]

A mall is private property.  If I'm the mall owner or manager, and I don't want the guy doing this is my mall, I have the right to ask him to leave.  If he refuses, the police can arrest him for trespassing.

Next time, he should find a mall manager more amenable to his activities, or choose a public park or sidewalk instead.

Yeah.  Not the greatest public relations move by the mall, but it's private property. 

[Hugo Chavez]

Maybe it has, I was just referring to this specific case and the facts presented.  I agree that it's a bit over-the-top if someone who was minding his own business and not making a scene gets tossed just for wearing a shirt, but the property owner still gets to make that call.  I probably wouldn't patronize an establishment that would do that, but I wouldn't question their right to do it.

I pretty much agree with what you're saying.

[Hugo Chavez]

plz give some links to this as i find it somewhat hard to believe, thanks

dude, don't believe me then, I give a rats ass not...  I remember the story from several years back, I'm not going to go hunt it down now, if you don't want to believe me, freaking don't.

[Hedgehog]

I think it's great that some anti-war activism is starting to spread.

Political activism is much needed.

Instead of guys like "Tyrone" Tsinkorang, backing Obama without knowing how his take on one single issue.

Or right-wing nuts backing McCain just because they hate Obama and Clinton.

[tonymctones]

dude, don't believe me then, I give a rats ass not...  I remember the story from several years back, I'm not going to go hunt it down now, if you don't want to believe me, freaking don't.

lol wow I thought I was being respectful and didnt intend to offend you and inspire such a bitchy response. I was actually asking as I find if hard to believe that this happend and that the person was not punished for it.

[Hugo Chavez]

lol wow I thought I was being respectful and didnt intend to offend you and inspire such a bitchy response. I was actually asking as I find if hard to believe that this happend and that the person was not punished for it.