Latest news with #publicproperty
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesting in Michigan this weekend? These are your rights
With a Washington military parade, President Donald Trump's birthday and growing opposition to immigration raids in Los Angeles, organizers have planned protests around the country for this weekend. Protests have been a part of the United States since the founding of the country. The U.S. Constitution guarantees rights, but that doesn't always mean the police will respect them or that a court will uphold them if they're violated, according to the National Lawyers Guild's "Know Your Rights — a guide for protesters." "When you are protesting or having any interaction with law enforcement, asserting your rights does not usually mean that the police will respect your rights or change how they are treating you. However, by using your rights ... you can make it harder for police to use your own statements or anything found on you during a search as evidence against you during a trial." Public property. No permit is necessary to march on public sidewalks, as long as car and pedestrian traffic is not obstructed, according to the ACLU of Michigan. Police may ask demonstrators without a permit to move to the side of a sidewalk to let people pass or for other safety reasons. According to the ACLU, the rights of protesters and organizers are strongest in "traditional public forums," such as streets, sidewalks and parks. People have the right to speak out in front of government buildings as long as they are not blocking access or interfering with operations. The rules for speech on private property are determined by the property owner. Counter-protesters also have the right to be present and voice displeasure within the vicinity of a different group, although they do not have a right to physically disrupt an event or drown out the speakers they are protesting, according to the ACLU. Some Michigan cities, including Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, ask large gatherings that have the potential to obstruct traffic obtain a permit with up to 70 days' notice. The National Lawyers Guild recommends trying to end law enforcement interaction as quickly as possible, as well as stating your rights out loud when asked questions. 'If a cop is speaking to you on the street, ask: 'Am I free to go?' If they say yes, you should leave, if you can do that safely. "If the cop says anything other than yes, follow up with: 'Am I being detained?' If they say anything other than yes, then say that you do not want to talk further and leave immediately,' according to NLG's Know Your Rights guide. If a police officer asks a question, a protester does not have to answer and can let the officer know they will remain silent and want to speak to a lawyer. Statements you make to people who are not police can be held against you, according to the NLG. In Michigan, police cannot ask you to provide your name or other identity information unless you have been detained on reasonable suspicion that you have committed a crime. This right is not the same in every state. Police are allowed to pat down the outside of your clothing without consent, but they need your permission or a warrant to search beyond that, according to NLG's guide. To decline a search, the guide recommends using the standard legal phrasing, 'I do not consent.' Michigan's ACLU recommends asking for a lawyer immediately, remaining silent and not signing or agreeing to anything without a lawyer. If a defendant hasn't hired a lawyer, they can ask for a court-appointed public defender if they can't afford it, according to Michigan Legal Help from the Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan State Bar Association. If you are arrested, you will be searched as part of the arrest process, according to NLG. Police officers may lie to you about having evidence, deals to drop charges, overstating penalties for crimes, the timeline of your detention, and whether they are recording, according to the guide. Lying to a government agent is sometimes a criminal offence, while remaining silent until speaking to a lawyer is not, according to the NLG. When in a public space, people have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and police, according to Michigan's ACLU. On private property, property owners may set their own rules. Police may not confiscate or demand to view photos or videos without a warrant. They may not delete data under any circumstances, according to the ACLU. Police may order citizens to stop recording if they are "truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations, but video recording from a safe distance is not interfering," according to the ACLU. [ Help us make the Free Press better for you. ] According to Michigan's ACLU, police may not disperse a protest unless there is "clear danger of a riot, disorder, interference with traffic, or other immediate threat to public safety." "Protesters must receive a clear and detailed notice of a dispersal order, including how much time they have to disperse, consequences for failing to disperse, and what exit route they can follow before they may be arrested or charged with any crime," according to the ACLU. Officers must give "reasonable opportunity to comply, including sufficient time and a clear exit path," according to the ACLU. The ACLU of Michigan recommends getting contact information of witnesses, taking photos of injuries, and writing down everything you can remember, including officers' names, badge and patrol car numbers. With this information, you can file a written complaint to a civilian complaint board, police department or agency, according to the ACLU. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Protest rights in Michigan: What to know ahead of No Kings events
Malay Mail
12-05-2025
- Malay Mail
No more rentals: Trader lands on Teluk Intan council blacklist after sledgehammer stunt over blocked shopfront
TELUK INTAN, May 12 — A watchmaker in a mall outlet in Jalan Bandar here, who ran amok by breaking the glass door entrance of the Teluk Intan Municipal Council (MPTI) building last week, has been blacklisted from further rental. Perak executive councillor of Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration A. Sivanesan said MPTI has given the 63-year-old man a month's notice to vacate his shop. 'His action (going on a rampage and damaging public property at the MPTI building) is unacceptable and we (the state) cannot tolerate the matter. He will be blacklisted by MPTI and will not be able to rent any stall or shop here in future. 'Also, he has not paid rent for two months, which is only RM150 per month. This serves as a lesson for him and other tenants, not to take the law into their own hands,' he said. Sivanesan made these remarks during a visit to the Chithirai Pournami festival at the Sri Subramaniam Temple which was attended by some 20,000 Hindu devotees on Jalan Bandar here today. On Thursday, Hilir Perak police chief ACP Dr Bakri Zainal Abidin said the watchmaker arrived at the MPTI building on a motorcycle and proceeded to smash both of the building's main glass doors with a sledgehammer. Bakri stated that in his testimony, the man defended his misdemeanour due to dissatisfaction with MPTI's decision to set up tents in front of his shop during the annual Chitra (or Chithirai) Pournami festival, as they obstructed customers' view of his watch repair shop. Earlier, a one-minute 30-second viral video showed a man astride a motorcycle descending on the MPTI building to smash the glass doors in a rage. — Bernama
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina advocacy groups react to bill proposing rules for homeless camps
(WGHP) — From Greensboro to Thomasville, homeless camps have been a concern with citizens for years. The solutions vary as to how leaders believe the problem can be addressed. Randolph County Representative Brian Biggs is proposing a unique solution, but not everyone agrees with it. This new bill would move the homeless population to designated the advocates say this could lead to bigger problems. 'There's so many tents. There's so many homeless there, and it's unsanitary … This bill … Does it criminalize homelessness? No. It addresses the use of public property for camping and sleeping without prohibiting homelessness itself,' Biggs said. Biggs is sponsoring House Bill 781. That bill would allow local leaders to designate city-owned properties for those who are unhoused to live. This would only take effect if the indoor shelters run out of space, and it's meant to be a temporary fix, only allowing up to a year. Ryan Ross is the director of Open Door Ministries, which is a non-profit organization in High Point that helps the homeless. He says the proposal can cause more issues. 'People are then just going to move around and instead of congregating in one area where you can control it a little, they are going to spread out even more,' he said. Janise Hurley, director of Davidson Medical Ministries, a non-profit organization that serves as a gateway to community resources for those facing homelessness, says other states have gone down a similar path with no luck. 'It hasn't benefited the people in general. It has only continued to increase the significant issue we've already been seeing, and it could be crime, trash. It could be personal hygiene issues,' she said. FOX8 brought these concerns to Biggs. 'I strongly believe in the importance of listening to those directly impacted by our policies … Input from affected individuals and service providers should be part of that conversation at the local level,' he said. The organizations say they are on the front lines working with the homeless population every single day, and they believe policies like this one often forget the real people. 'Know the population you are dealing with before you make these decisions,' Ross said. 'We have to look at each person as an individual, and we know we treat people with problems. We don't treat people as problems,' Hurley said. According to Biggs' office, the bill passed out of a North Carolina House committee on Tuesday and could be up for a vote as early as Wednesday. If it becomes law, it will go into effect in October. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
