Legalectric

Last week, I heard a story about a confiscated sign at the Wabasha Saturday protest:

Wabasha & 8647 – May 23rd, 2025

After hearing a sign was confiscated at a Wabasha protest, and utterly appalled, I committed to showing up at the next Saturday protest, which was today. The story wasn’t clear, other than the cop took the sign. No one videoed, and eyewitness accounts were vague, not much was heard. Sooooooo…

Off I goes to Wabasha with my sign, as above. Alan got to carry the Ukraine flag.

The furor about and attributions to “86” are so bonkers. Distractivism, but easy to push back.

Driving into town, after going under the bridge there’s a pull off on Pembroke near the trailer park. A cop was there, arm with cigarette hanging out the window. Near Kwik Trip, I found a place to park under a tree for Maisy.

I’d started standing on the Kwik Trip corner, as I didn’t want to intrude on the Veterans Memorial there, or intrude on their protest either, but the folks encouraged me to come over, so I did, wouldn’t want to be anti-social after all. After being there a while, with many supportive honks, and a few “FUCK YOU!” hollers out the window, I see the cop car come down the street, and take a left on 8th and head over behind the buildings. He was back there for quite a while, then came out and headed east on Hiawatha Drive. I was on the NE corner of Pembroke & Hiawatha, right on the corner, a location with good visibility. As he took off from the stop sign, I waved and grinned, as I was with all the traffic there, and he kept heading east. Maybe 10 minutes later, he pulled up, and walked over.

A couple of folks got photos and were there when he first came up to talk to me, lots of support, and it was clear, most were very nervous. It was really good to see the Falkums there, it’s got to have been 20+ years since we were on the National Eagle Center board together, and I’ll have to catch up with them. A few were also butting in though, and I didn’t want that, as it was distracting, as with the prior week, it was my sign, at issue, and dealing with that is my niche. This recap is from memory, and the order of some of this may be off, and I probably forgot some:

The cop wanted my sign, said he’d gotten 3 complaints, and he was responding to those complaints, that my sign it was a threat against the President, that last week it was his partner who’d taken the sign. I said it wasn’t a threat. I pointed out the “86 does not equal 187” and he asked for my sign and I said “NO!” Told him it was unconstitutional for him to take it, there as no basis for it. That this sign was not a threat (and really, little ol’ moi with a painted sign in Wabasha, a credible threat? I don’t think so.). He said “this is not going to end well.” Oh, OK. I asked if he wanted my ID, he said he’d deal with that later. I told him “I’m ready.” He said he’d deal with me and then would also want to talk to the group, and went back to his car.

He sat there… and sat there, 10 minutes, 15 minutes… at about this time, the Sheriff came by on Hiawatha and stopped, took a left on Pembroke going the other way, of course I waved as he went through the intersection, and he went down the street and pulled into the Subway parking lot! The sheriff never did join the party. Meanwhile, cop still in car… 20 minutes… he’s got to be hearing all the supportive honking and waving, and see at least a few fingers out the windows. Some of the folks were coming up asking what was going on, was he going to arrest me, and I sure didn’t know what was happening, but was confident that he’d not do anything, no reason, no basis, and the time delay felt like good news.

… at 25 or 30 minutes he came out.

He said he’d been calling, consulting, and he wanted to know what I thought 8647 meant, that folks are saying it means to assassinate the President, that it’s a threat. I reminded him that it’s all hype, that 86 means to “toss out, eject” and those claiming it means “assassinate” haven’t a clue, haven’t spent enough time in bars. He said he was glad I said that’s what it meant, because last week, the guy with the sign said it meant “8 miles out of town and 6 feet down.” WHAT? HE SAID THAT? I told him I didn’t believe he’d said that, and for sure I’d check. I told him that I’m an attorney, that I am direct in my communications, and that if I wanted to say the President should be assassinated, my sign would say “KILL THE MOTHERFUCKER!” and “Hey, does it say that?” holding up the sign. I swear he had the tiniest bit of a grin at that point. I again pointed out the bottom line of the sign:

Those that think otherwise, those complaining, that’s THEIR problem! Don’t even try to make it mine. And I asked about those who were yelling “FUCK YOU” through their open windows, he said that’s disorderly conduct and you can make a complaint. Naaah, life is too short. He said, a couple of times, “I’m all for the 1st Amendment.” “GOOD TO HEAR” I told him. Anyway, that’s pretty much what went down — I’ll edit if I remember other parts, or the order of things.

It turns out when I asked the guy whose sign was confiscated, he did indeed say “8 miles out of town and 6 feet down.” He set himself up. I asked whatever possessed him to say something like that, and he said he’d just googled it, and said the first thing that came into his mind. WHAT?!?! Good grief… I cannot believe!

So a good time was had by all. I was concerned that the group might be offended at my showing up to press the issue, but taking away a sign, whatever the doofus said, is not OK, and I didn’t want to see that go unchallenged. Overall, the Wabasha protesters were supportive and very glad to see that the cop caved and drove away. Bottom line, I could continue to stand on the corner in the sun and hold that sign. Such a deal.

It might take a couple more Saturdays to get the police in the groove, and guide the protesters on dealing with police, but I’m confident that the 1st Amendment prevails.