North Korea, you should feel sorry for us.
An Arizona mother has been arrested for violating a bizarre, authoritarian city law that bans people from publicly criticizing city officials, and authorities told The Washington Post that outraged free speech groups plan to sue.
At the Aug. 20 City Council meeting, Rebecca Massey, 32, was speaking out against a proposed $12,000 pay raise for Surprise City Attorney Robert Wingo (who already makes a reported $266,000 a year) when she was interrupted by Mayor Skip Hall.
Hall accused Massey of violating city rules that prohibit him from using his time at the podium to “file charges or complaints against any city employee or council member.” azcentral.com
“That's all well and good, but it's a violation of my First Amendment rights,” Massey countered.
“So this is a warning to you, OK?” Hall responded, adding that the reprimand was “for personally attacking the city attorney.”
“This is all factual information,” Massey said, referring to Wingo's alleged failure to take action on issues surrounding election posters.
After some further back and forth, Hall ordered the city's police chief to take her away.
“Chief, can you get someone over here to escort Mr. Massey out of this room?” Hall said.
“Are you going to take me away for asserting my First Amendment rights in front of my 10-year-old daughter?” Massey told a local radio station. ah.
Massey was charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental business.
The free speech group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression later learned of the arrest and announced it plans to sue the city of Surprise over the incident.
“The First Amendment protects the right of every American to criticize public officials,” FIRE attorney Connor Fitzpatrick told The Washington Post.
“And the last thing people who go to City Council to voice their opinions should fear is being walked away in handcuffs. FIRE looks forward to defending Rebecca's constitutional rights in court.”
Mayor Massey said Friday he wants to teach the city a “lesson.”
“As an American, it is my right to speak out to hold local governments accountable, and as a mother, it is my duty to set an example and stand up to protect fundamental rights like free speech when they are threatened,” she said in a statement.
“That's the lesson I wanted to teach my daughter, and it's the lesson I'm now determined to impart to the city of Surprise, Arizona.”
It was not immediately clear how Massey ended up being arrested for trespassing at a gathering open to the public.
Surprise Police Chief Benny Pina and Mayor Skip Hall did not return calls from The Post on Friday.
