Arrest at the TX Convention

[Meatloaf75]

That was the longest four days of my LIFE! (I arrived in Houston on Wednesday - just in time to attend the first temp. credentials meeting).

It should be noted that the credentials committee passed supplemental rules - before reading them aloud to the gallery - that basically allowed all delegates/alts to attend the meeting EXCEPT contestants, which the chairman REDEFINED to include challengers and challengees - contrary to the RPT's definition of the word.

So if you were challenging someone, or being challenged, you could only be in meeting while your county's challenges were being heard. Many people ignored/defied this rule and continued to sit in on the meeting (we were all interested in Nueces).

They chose to selectively enforced the new rule and singled out a well-known RP Organizer who they obviously fear. He stood his ground and stated his reason for remaining in the room - so the Executive director, Eric Opiella (sp?) called the HPD - the delegate stepped out of the room moments before the officer arrived and was not arrested. Eric told the officer that the delegate was being "intentionally disruptive" (even though he stood silent and only spoken when spoken to).

The chairman threw out many challenges without putting them to a vote - after all - he's the "gatekeeper".

I applaud those committee members who saw that the fix was in and made every attempt to do the right thing. Nueces was railroaded - pure and simple. It was a sad, sad day for the RPT.

There's more nuance to the story, but I just got back from Houston and I need a rest - I'm wasted - physically and emotionally.

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

Thanks for the update, Meatloaf. And much respect and appreciation for your work at the convention.

onward and forward

 

[1836]

Thanks for the info IPSecure- that is good to know.

As for the arrest- I was right there and saw it, I got some on video too. I doubt there was an arrest, but someone was escorted out by police. Long story short there was a ruckus of a vocal protest of the decision of the chair (keep in mind that it's not easy to be heard in a room of 8000+ when you have no microphone), the dissenting voice approached the podium yelling to be heard and some volunteer sergeant at arms approached as well as the lead, elected sergeant - a moment later right behind the dissenter one of the volunteer sergeant at arms started to repeatably yell that the lead, elected sergeant had assaulted him. He was in a group of serveral other sergeants - two police approached and took him away. I can't see what chargers they'd press against him but don't know.

For sure, it wasn't anything political.

Are you talking about Jeremy or Robert Johnson?

Robert Johnson was certainly "escorted out" although because I was over on the farthest right side of the hall, I could tell who escorted him.

A separate incident happened with Jeremy from Tarrant County, who was detained by the police... I believe at Credentials.

 

[Strike-Fighter]

Was the guy who was arrested eating a hot dog from 7/11?

LOL I JUST READ THAT ONE

 

[Meatloaf75]

Jeremy was not "detained" he walked out of the credentials meeting before the officer arrived. He was instructed to sit in a chair while the HPD officer sorted the issue out with the RPT official. He was polite and obliged the officers request. Jeremy never asked if he was being detained, he was never instructed that he was being detained. It was brief. However, it was made clear that he would have been arrested if the officer was forced to remove Jeremy from the room. Jeremy had simply asserted his right to be there and pushed it as far as he could to show that his rights were being violated.

There was another incident involving the same officer as above (who stood watch over us and described us as "protesters" - ignoring the fact that most of us were credentialed delegates or alts). Apparently, a RP supporter was filming the hallway outside credentials. A party hack did not like being on video and allegedly grabbed at the camera. An altercation ensued. The officer came over to assess the situation. He told the RP'r to stop filming the woman. The woman yelled about her privacy being violated. Another supporter explained that she had no reasonable expectation of such privacy in a hotel lobby. The officer asked the well-dressed supporter if he was an attorney and told him to stay out of it. I told the woman to look up and pointed out two separate security cameras and asked if she was going to attack the hotel staff since they have had her on video all day. The officer told me to get lost.

Robert X was not arrested. His mic was turned off and he was yelling out his interrupting motion when the incident occurred (of which I have no personal knowledge of the details and I'm not going to post a bunch of here-say) - I would love to see the video though.

 

[Bryan]

Jeremy was not involved in this. The person making the appeal (sounds like others are describing him as Robert) was not directly involved in this, he was out of the picture 5+ feet away, but it was an off-shoot of his walk to the poduim.

 

[MsDoodahs]

I told the woman to look up and pointed out two separate security cameras and asked if she was going to attack the hotel staff since they have had her on video all day.

 

[Bryan]

Here's some of the convention proceedings regarding the Nueces County rump that led to the incident, I did get pretty good video of the ruckus but will not post it at this point. Sorry. I will say that the SaA walked out of the convention on his own with two police officers following him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMV9rlWDENk

 

[MsDoodahs]

Here's some of the convention proceedings regarding the Nueces County rump that led to the incident, I did get pretty good video of the ruckus but will not post it at this point. Sorry. I will say that the SoA walked out of the convention on his own with two police officers following him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMV9rlWDENk

Thanks for the video, Bryan. Even if it did make me kinda .

Looking forward to the rest of your stuff...please let me know when you make them available.

 

[IPSecure]

Dr. Paul mentioned 'bloody noses' and corruption at the ice cream social.

I am personally blown away at the corruption, from local to county to state to national.

Even the judicial - claiming 'no authority' to have the party actually follow their own rules...

This video reminds me of the fat lady laughing at the Constitution, during the Nevada state convention.

Does anyone remember the 2nd to last debate where Johnny McFly stated:
"I admit, I am a Federalist"?

 

[[email protected]]

Are you talking about Jeremy or Robert Johnson?

Robert Johnson was certainly "escorted out" although because I was over on the farthest right side of the hall, I could tell who escorted him.

A separate incident happened with Jeremy from Tarrant County, who was detained by the police... I believe at Credentials.

I don't think Robert got arrested, but that was the last we heard from him. My guess is he was not allowed back in as a delegate after that incident.

The issue in question was the Nueces County rump convention. The state party leadership was trying to just sweep the issue under the rug. The general assembly was being asked to vote on the seating of the Nueces County delegation, but was not allowing the issue to be debated on the floor. They just wanted to steamroll their recommendation of seating the "official" delegation without ever letting the details of the issue to be presented to everyone. They got what they wanted and the general assembly of sheep approved their recommendation without knowing what really happened.

We had about 30% of the delegates and alternates there. Not enough to get a lot done, but we had a huge presence just the same. We definitely got a lot of the sheep to at least think a little. We also got quite a few of our people elected as delegates and alternates to the national convention in St. Paul.

 

[walter]

In my district, we got one alternate out of 3 and 3, and another, we got 2 alts out of 6 total delegates. I would love to hear a total! Some of those people had the heads so far up GWBs arse that I alomost puke several times! One guy stood up asking for unity, he ask the group of 200 how many already had McCain stickers or shirts, only about 4 people raised their hands and it was so silent you could've heard a pin drop! People were all saying they wanted enthusiasm, that they had seen NONE so far, I said, where the hell were you at Ron Pauls social? The crowd went wild like Elvis came back and reunited with the Beatles!

 

[scandinaviany3]

great videos

Here's some of the convention proceedings regarding the Nueces County rump that led to the incident, I did get pretty good video of the ruckus but will not post it at this point. Sorry. I will say that the SoA walked out of the convention on his own with two police officers following him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMV9rlWDENk

Bryan,

Great videos on tina and debbie.

I wonder if anyone got paul perry...

\\

 

[RPTXState]

Apparently, a RP supporter was filming the hallway outside credentials. A party hack did not like being on video and allegedly grabbed at the camera. An altercation ensued. The officer came over to assess the situation. He told the RP'r to stop filming the woman. The woman yelled about her privacy being violated. Another supporter explained that she had no reasonable expectation of such privacy in a hotel lobby. The officer asked the well-dressed supporter if he was an attorney and told him to stay out of it.

That "another supporter" was indeed a lawyer- and a party official (County Chairman). That's the first time I watched him really get pissed off at someone to their face.

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

That "another supporter" was indeed a lawyer- and a party official (County Chairman). That's the first time I watched him really get pissed off at someone to their face.

The plot thickens

and good job RPTXS

 

[jblosser]

Jeremy was not involved in this. The person making the appeal (sounds like others are describing him as Robert) was not directly involved in this, he was out of the picture 5+ feet away, but it was an off-shoot of his walk to the poduim.

Yes I was.

Bob and I were on mic 1 waiting for the permanent chair so we could move to reconsider the vote on the roll. Bob knew the new chair and was hopeful he'd finally let us get a debate on this. When he didn't and cut the mics himself, Bob started up the aisle, and I was about 15 feet behind him.

He got up to the front and was yelling that he was appealing. The Chair ignored him, and sgt-at-arms came swarming in after him. One of those sgt-at-arms happened to be one of the Nueces rump delegates, and he asserted to the others that they had no right to remove Bob, just to keep order. They all turned on him and the chief sgt tore his tags off, hence the yelling about being assaulted. At that point the cops showed up for Bob and instead fixated on the sgt-at-arms. Bob took the opportunity to go sit down and was present until the end of the convention.

After they chased Bob back and while the above was going on I took the spot he had been in and started calling for the appeal myself; the chair looked at me with an "oh no there's more of them" look and called the appeal vote with no debate.

Bryan please email or call me, we need all the video you have of this. It's illegal to use police at an event like this, and Bob plans to get it resolved before the next convention.

I will try to get some more summary stuff up when I can. Meatloaf has the details of what happened to me mostly right except it wasn't Opiela in the committee room, it was Cmmttee Chair Rene Diaz. Opiela was out in the hall getting the police.

Vanessa Cahill from Nueces was similarly threatened with police when she tried to bring the Nueces issue before the committee when the chair denied it existed.

Bob and I did win one floor fight yesterday, in the nominating committee--ironically enough, defending a McCain delegate's right to be brought up for a vote as an at-large delegate.

 

[countrykidz4freedom]

God bless you and thanks so much Ron Paul Republican Texans for making a stand for freedom!!! Every time I read a post like this, and watch the videos, I am so thankful for people who are determined to make a stand for truth and honor. I was a delegate to my state convention, it only lasted one day, and it was still terribly exhausting mentally and physically. I very much respect and appreciate you guys for your dedication to liberty. You guys make me proud to be an American!!!!

 

[Bryan]

Bryan,

Great videos on tina and debbie.

I wonder if anyone got paul perry...

\\

Ask and you shall receive....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rha2SVxDK1A

That was from Friday- I also have the one from Thursday if you want that too.

Yes I was.
...

Bryan please email or call me, we need ...

I stand corrected! PMed...

 

[scandinaviany3]

Bryan...would love to show family the conference if you can put the full video up

Ask and you shall receive....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rha2SVxDK1A

That was from Friday- I also have the one from Thursday if you want that too.



I stand corrected! PMed...

good idea..please add both...

As much of the conference you can get up great.

 

[scandinaviany3]

interesting..

Yes I was.

Bob and I were on mic 1 waiting for the permanent chair so we could move to reconsider the vote on the roll. Bob knew the new chair and was hopeful he'd finally let us get a debate on this. When he didn't and cut the mics himself, Bob started up the aisle, and I was about 15 feet behind him.

He got up to the front and was yelling that he was appealing. The Chair ignored him, and sgt-at-arms came swarming in after him. One of those sgt-at-arms happened to be one of the Nueces rump delegates, and he asserted to the others that they had no right to remove Bob, just to keep order. They all turned on him and the chief sgt tore his tags off, hence the yelling about being assaulted. At that point the cops showed up for Bob and instead fixated on the sgt-at-arms. Bob took the opportunity to go sit down and was present until the end of the convention.

After they chased Bob back and while the above was going on I took the spot he had been in and started calling for the appeal myself; the chair looked at me with an "oh no there's more of them" look and called the appeal vote with no debate.

Bryan please email or call me, we need all the video you have of this. It's illegal to use police at an event like this, and Bob plans to get it resolved before the next convention.

I will try to get some more summary stuff up when I can. Meatloaf has the details of what happened to me mostly right except it wasn't Opiela in the committee room, it was Cmmttee Chair Rene Diaz. Opiela was out in the hall getting the police.

Vanessa Cahill from Nueces was similarly threatened with police when she tried to bring the Nueces issue before the committee when the chair denied it existed.

Bob and I did win one floor fight yesterday, in the nominating committee--ironically enough, defending a McCain delegate's right to be brought up for a vote as an at-large delegate.

I wondered what was going on...i heard you, and of course tina's inappropriate responses.

As Paul Perry said we will be back...but next time we are taking this to a whole new level, like nothing they have saw before