Gay group upset with Casa Grande police

by Hanna Scott/KTAR (April 17th, 2009 @ 5:01am)

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Comments:14

Controversy has erupted over a tax day demonstration in Casa Grande by a gay rights group.

People from Central Arizona Rainbow Equality or "CARE," a group that represents gays in Pinal County, claim they were harassed by a police officer when they gathered along a city street to protest taxation without representation.

Organizer Christopher Hall said CARE had the okay from the city.

"They told us that we could stand on the sidewalk, or seven feet beyond the sidewalk, and we should be perfectly fine," said Hall.

However, he said that Wednesday evening, a police officer approached four activists and said police "had received a phone call and that we were obstructing traffic."

The officer said the group's rainbow flag, which measured 8-feet by 5-feet, was the problem, Hall said.

"We said we were more than willing to move, and he said we were not allowed the fly the flag anywhere within the city and that, if we were to fly the flag again, that the individual who owned the flag would be arrested," said Hall.

He added, "He said no to everything. He was not cooperating with us. That was a little bit of a problem."

Hall said the group filed a complaint with police immediately, and that he has a meeting with Police Chief Robert Huddleston on Monday.

Huddleston issued a statement, saying that police respect the rights of everyone to express their opinions and that the incident is under investigation.

Last 5 Comments

• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Protests In C.G.???

  Leon C

  I live in Casa Grande, no one protests anything here. With the exception of the neighbors dog pooping on the lawn next door.

  12193
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Maybe the origanal gay tea

  vwdude

  bag photo wasnt gay enough.

  12163
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Give KTAR a BREAK

  Zachary W

  So KTAR got a news story from Casa Grande about an incident between some gay tea bagging protesters. I don't think they are going to send a reporter down to Casa Grande which is 30-45 mins away just to take a picture of something that already happened and was over. So they took a picture from other gay rights protest to give a visual idea of what it might have been like. STOP looking for an opportunity to complain about everything.

  12154
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Shame on you KTAR

  Gold Wing

  To make this story one of your headlines is shameful. This selfish group of self-centered whiners obviously used the taxation protest as a vehicle to push their own sick agenda. These same immature people call all others who don't share their point of view names like "homophobe." Just kids on a playground. Kudos to the Casa Grand PD for forcing them to stick to the tax issue or go home!!

  12138
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Please clarify article

  AZMomma

  If the pic did NOT come from the actual protest - where did it come from? Stock file photo? Just what was the subject of the gay protest? What in the heck is "8 is hate" ?? Am pro-gay rights but sounds like the reporter never bothered to get the entire story (or is unable to write it correctly). As for the CG cop...he needed to call back to HQ and find out if the group had been given permission to protest and fly their flag.

  12134
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