An Arizona mom is now suing the city of Surprise (yes, that's the city's real name) after she was arrested and forcibly removed from a city council meeting when she questioned a pay raise for a city official.
In a video that's now gone viral, Surprise Mayor Skip Hall ordered a police officer to handcuff and haul out Rebekah Massie during the public meeting on August 20 after she used her time at the microphone to criticize a proposed pay raise for City Attorney Robert Wingo. In the official video of the recorded meeting, Massie, whose 10-year-old daughter was in attendance and watching, can be heard demanding to know what crime she’d committed as the officer attempted to detain her, while Hall repeatedly told her she wasn’t allowed to use the time to lodge complaints against “specific” city employees.
Except the pay raise proposal for this guy was official government business, and Massie had every right to voice her concerns.
The shocking clip quickly spread on social media, prompting outrage from free speech advocates who demanded to know why an American citizen was being arrested and silenced for openly criticizing the proposed tax-funded salary of a government official.
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Massie was cited for misdemeanor trespassing, which carries a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. With the help of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), she’s now suing the city for violating her First Amendment rights.
During Massie’s arrest, Wingo pointed to a city rule that states that “oral communications during the City Council meeting can’t be used to lodge charges or complaints against any city employees.” However, attorneys with FIRE now argue that rule “places a muzzle on residents at public meetings,” and violates residents’ First Amendment rights.
“A rule like that has no place in a free society,” FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick. “Every American should feel comfortable going to a government meeting and making their voice heard. It is what the First Amendment is all about.”
In addition to suing the city, Massie also names Mayor Skip Hall and the Surprise police officer in her suit. She is scheduled to appear in court later this month for her arraignment on the trespassing charge.
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— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) August 25, 2024
A lady was arrested in front of her 10 year old daughter for criticizing the mayor of Surprise, Arizona.
Free speech is on life support in America. pic.twitter.com/O7vc3qylYy