Occupy DSM: Intentionally Confrontational?
October 14, 2011 4 Comments
David Goodner, one of the Occupy Des Moines protesters arrested last Sunday who seems to be intent on a repeat performance.
There is a new twist in the continuing saga of the Occupy DSM protests today. This morning the organizers of the Occupy DSM protests had their application to renew their permit to stay in the park they have been occupying has been denied. According to the Iowa Department of Administrative Services the permit was denied because the state has had the practice of limiting overnight stays to just three nights. This means that if the protesters ignore the 11 P.M. curfew they will once again be subject to arrest as well as criminal charges.
The uproar that has resulted from this decision has been entirely predictable. One of the chief agitators at the moment is David Goodner from Iowa Citizen’s for Community Improvement. This group has been well documented as a confrontational organization that will resort to disruption and chaos in an attempt to push their point of view. It was this group that heckled Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney during the Iowa State Fair in August. According to the Des Moines Register Mr. Goodner is attempting to claim that because the State denied the renewal of the permit that the State is suppressing their freedom of speech.
I cannot stress this strong enough. The State of Iowa is not attempting to limit the protesters ability to protest. The State of Iowa is not attempting to limit the protesters 1st Amendment rights. There is, however, someone that is working to limit the protesters right to protest, the protesters themselves. That’s right; the only one that is working to limit their ability to protest is the protesters themselves. They have rigidly stood by their demands to protest in that particular park. It seems to be that the protesters themselves feel that they are above the law. They continuously espouse the belief that they have a right to violate the curfew law governing that park because they want to protest there. By continuing to be wavering in this demand the biggest hindrance to their ability protest is themselves.
I find it simply astonishing that a group that has supposedly assembled to protest and attempt to affect change has acted so irrationally. This begs the question, if their message is so important that they have to be able to protest around the clock, why in the world are they so rigid in their protests location? And while I do not have an answer to this question, I can develop a few assumptions. Perhaps the some of the protesters are simply there to create a confrontation. Perhaps someone like David Goodner wants to try to get arrested in an attempt to become seen as a “leader” in this movement. Or it could be that the protesters are so blinded by their hatred for Governor Branstad that they are forcing a potential confrontation in an effort to embarrass him. Then again they could simply not realize that they do have options.
I have learned that the Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie has extended an invitation to the Occupy DSM protesters to utilize a city park to the east of the State Capital with a seven day permit. Personally I don’t think that these protesters will accept the invitation. They have the ability to protest at the State Capital, just not in the location that they want. Furthermore, there will be no line of sight between them and the State Capital officially neutering their protest. Additionally, as I said before, I believe that a number of the protesters are intent on provoking a confrontation with the Iowa State Patrol. No, I think that the use of the city park will be refused and that the end result will be the arrest of two to three dozen protesters. I could be wrong of course. We will find out at 11 P.M.
Looks like you were wrong entirely. We respect the cops and they’re now doing a lot to keep us safe at our new location at Stewart Park. Your presumptions on the demeanor and tactics of the group are unfortunately uninformed.
Jonathon,
I may have missed my prediction, but there is still elements within the group that want the attention that arrests would bring. They are intentionally confrontational. I can name a certain group in particular that seems to relish the idea of confrontation. That group would be Citizen’s for Community Improvement lead by David Goodner. We saw their tactics at the Iowa State Fair when they attempted to shout down Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. We saw it when they brazenly disrupted a town hall being held by Senator Charles Grassley. And then when the arrests took place on the first night of the Occupy Des Moines protests Mr. Goodner and his colleagues were front and center in the limelight. So I would suggest to you that if you want your movement to be seen in a positive light you would do well to distance yourself from these folks.
Al you have missed the boat all around. The bias in your article has shown that you a spokes person for the IDA are a right wing corperate supporter, and your opinion of David Goodner wreaks of hate for the CCI. Personally I am not a member of either group, but I think that a little self examination would let you see that the traditional values that your organization promotes includes all Iowans, and that freedom of speach and the right to assemble are open to everyone. Or is that something that your against.
Marty, please tell me how I have “missed the boat”?
And I agree that Freedom of Speech is indeed open to everyone. With that said, our 1st Amendment Rights do not give us the freedom to disregard laws and regulations put in place by our duly elected officials. If you don’t like a certain law, then lobby your Congressman to change.