The radical Party for Socialism and Liberation in Anchorage is upset about a bill that has been offered by the governor, which makes it illegal to block roadways in protest without a permit. And they’re going to do something sure to get the media’s attention: They’re going to block roadways.
Across the country, radicals have taken over roadways and runways, sitting in the middle of the road, gluing their skin to the asphalt, holding banners across runways, and generally creating a snarl in traffic and transportation. They’ve shut down I-5 in Seattle and blocked traffic in every major city. Sometimes it’s about Israel and sometime it’s about the environment, but it’s not being done with a permit to disrupt public transportation.
It happened this month, when PSL protestors took over Fireweed Lane in Anchorage to express their displeasure with Israel’s defense against Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens.
The PSL, which is a communist party, is now planning to take over the street in front of the Atwood Building on March 1, in what they call an “unpermitted protest against Dunleavy.” The Atwood building is the state office building in anchorage on 7th Avenue.
House Bill 386 is intended to address the possibility of a road or runway being blocked by protesters, while a fire is burning or a child is dying, and life-saving personnel can’t get to the scene.
The communist group says this bill infringes on their First Amendment rights.
The protest, planned for 6 pm, is long after most state workers have left the area, and before people head downtown for the bar scene. The sun will be setting at about 6:30 p.m. on March 1 and the temperature outside is expected to be between 1-10 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is the same group that hosted a meeting during which Anchorage Assemblyman Felix Rivera was a guest speaker last year.
Well officer the roads were icy and I couldn’t stop in time. You know you shouldn’t be out in the middle of the road in Alaska in the winter time you might get hit by a snowplow.
The city needs to close the road for street maintenance.
Or they could hold street racing there.
Get an airport crash truck out, put a dye in the water, whoever is coated red, arrest them soaking wet.
You won’t run into a water cannon. Better yet if it’s cold.
At those projected temperatures, water cannons like water falls, accompanied by the equally in volume, the overture of 1812 would add a pleasant peaceful sound to the activity.
It is, very simply, a matter of public safety. Fullstop
Restrict our constitutional rights because someone might get hurt. What could possibly go wrong?
Blocking a street is a public safety issue and disturbing the peace an arrest-able offense.
I have no problem with protests and demonstrations to affirm your first amendment right. If they want to stand on the sidewalk and yell at all and sundry be my guest, get a permit and have the street traffic rerouted, but that isn’t the plan. The plan is to create the most chaos possible, make the biggest spectacle with the most impact to all others. That’s not asserting your first amendment right, that’s anarchy!
Donna, this has nothing to do with “public safety.”
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If someone walks onto a roadway, drivers are expected to stop for the purposes of safety–regardless of whether the person is in a crosswalk or whatever. Granted, if a person is outside a crosswalk, or dashes into traffic suicidally, drivers’ responsibility would be arguable.
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As to the 1st Amendment, people are absolutely entitled to exercise free speech in the public right-of-way…. while on sidewalks and dedicated pedestrian areas… only in the traffic zone only with bumper stickers, etc. Believing the 1st-A allows us to disrupt traffic is a fallacy. However, those who believe they allowed to do so are not the problem; rather, they are a symptom. Another symptom is those legions of stupid leftist judges who sympathize with such disrupters. The actual problem is us; the voters who allow these leftist judges to proliferate in our judiciary. We are the designers of our own destiny. Complacence comes at a price.
Then how about the State or Muni do something about the vehicles in residential neighborhoods blocking road access? The snow hasn’t been picked up in months and people are parking half on snow berms and half in the road, frequently blocking anything larger than a small car. Where’s the furor over emergency vehicles not being able to reach your neighbors? It seems more like Governor Dunleavy is trying to audition for the vice presidency and is playing catch up with Florida, all the while preaching that Alaska is unique and we do things our own way here.
Anchorage ain’t Seattle (yet), and I’m betting that Anchorageites will not be very patient with these pathetic soy boys and girls.
Get some pavement rollers. They’ll move.
Police dogs, billy clubs, tazers, pepper spray, rubber bullets, shotguns, water canons–tools of the trade that are best utilized with malevolence! It should never take long to dispose of troublemakers and other miscreants!
Too much work and unnecessary effort. Just repave the road. Two birds, one stone.
…. Standard tough talk behind an anonymous keyboard. Yeh, let’s go murder some leftists…. duh, yup, yup.
“……they’re going to do something sure to get the media’s attention: They’re going to block roadways……..”
Since the governor’s bill isn’t law yet, I suspect they’re stupid enough to think they can’t be arrested. I hope they get arrested and charged, and with a conservative mayor at the helm, I’m thinking it’s going to happen. It ought to be a great show.
Getting the media’s attention can and should be a two way street, so to speak………
Can’t imagine that ending well
Where do I go to do my burn-outs?
“Thou shall not kill”.
As a small-c-conservative, its amazing to me that all the “pro-law” folls would prefer to murder these dummies instead of letting the police and courts do the job our taxes pay them to do. Makes me wonder if you’d murder me if I ever disagreed with you yet posed not threat. I’m not Christian, how soon before that gets me murdered?
You claim you’re not Christian but are quoting one of the Ten Commandments? I can’t believe that anyone would take some of these comments seriously. I don’t think anyone would actually RUN OVER a protester if it could be avoided. They are just spouting off. For some reason, when Far right or conservative people make EXAGGERATED comments, people on the other side come unglued. Liberals or leftists (whatever your choice of the day) also make crazy threats or comments. I guess the problem is lacking a sense of humor.
Sigh, Jimmy! I guess I missed all those news reports about squads of Knights Templar roaming the streets assaulting unsuspecting peace-loving atheists….
What I did not miss was the report on the 8 fold increase of attacks on Churches since 2018 and a doubling of the attacks from 2022 to 2023 alone.
Care to revise your statement?
As a conservative shouldn’t you be defending religious freedom as part of the first amendment on principle alone?
“…prefer to murder these dummies instead of letting the police and courts do the job our taxes pay them to do”
Unfortunately, the police and courts are NOT doing the job they are being paid to do. They are ignoring these purposefully disruptive “protests” and letting those that break the law walk free.
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And, sometimes a person needs a “killing.” (Figuratively, of course) But, I do know that once the police stop protecting these morons who glue themselves to the pavement, and let the motorists express their frustration, these types of “protests” will stop. Just extinction rebellion. They learned.
Throw buckets of water on them.
I have some used motor oil that I was going to the recycle container at the midtown transfer station, but I would be willing to give it to these protestors for them to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.
It feels like a set-up to me. If people go, keep your distance and watch for anything unusual (like people starting cars or buildings on fire for example).
Actually don’t go at all (I won’t) The less attention they are getting the better. At 6pm on 7th Ave there is not a whole lot going on anyway. Is it really a protest if nobody shows up?
I say let them stand in the deep freeze all by their lonesome.
Bring a bucket of water.
I’m putting rosin on my Louisville slugger now. So these butt wipes think it’s ok to block traffic and that doesn’t infringe on my wrights to drive safely down the roads I pay for ??
I don’t know. I think it’s time the majority ends this.
I’ll say it. I will run them over if I’m seeking medical aid.
If they somehow delay medical aid for loved ones I will seek revenge.
They can do as they want. These are my limits for patience. Socialist obviously don’t understand shared pain.
Can I buy bear spray in 55 gallon canisters??
An 8-oz spray bottle works just fine.
Water will do. Below freezing.
Go with wasp and hornet spray. It shoots about 12 to 20 feet, and stings like mad.
And, I thin HD/Lowes have it cheap in the two pack.
Let the games begin!!
CNN had an article advocating for this behavior. To get one’s voice heard civil disobedience is needed to get attention. These freaks think they’re social justice warriors and can do what they want. Good, go glue yourself to a light pole.
Civil disobedience is sitting at a whites only lunch counter. It is praying outside of an abortion clinic. It is sitting in at City Hall.
It is not gluing yourself to the road, throwing soup on art, or other acts of destruction.
Sooo…it’ll be ok to block public roads as long as they obtain a government permit? How about we amend that bill to strike that part out? The constitutional right to peacefully assemble to redress grievances against government doesn’t (or it shouldn’t) include the right to block public roads or to in any way impede or obstruct the rights of other citizens to freely move about.
Actually obtaining a permit is a well-established lawful practice. It gives authorities the ability to reroute traffic and have enough officers at the scene to deter rowdy behavior and arrest the miscreants. It also allows authorities to deny a permit if the place of protest is let’s say at the entryway to the emergency room, or change the location to an adjacent parking lot for example to prevent interference with operations.
Most un-permitted aka unauthorized “protests” we saw especially in 2020 were actually riots, but that word is no longer PC……
Their claimed “1st Amendment rights” are in direct conflict with the public’s right to travel freely.
Blocking someone’s right to travel is a form of imprisonment, and should not be tolerated.
Blocking a roadway is not a form of imprisonment. Rather, it is interfering with a portion of the public right-of-way dedicated to auto traffic. Pedestrians also have dedicated areas. Disrespecting these allocated traffic ways is not a constitutional right.
Actually Wayne it’s called interfering with commerce and yes it’s illega.
The legislature changed this offense from a misdemeanor crime to a traffic infraction some time ago (exact year unknown). Since then it’s gave license to all sorts of nuts and crazies to run around in this highways and the cops have no recourse.
Ever seen Soylent Green? “The scoops are on the way”
Other than “State Employees”, does anyone really take part in downtown “nightlife”, except for the “homeless”? Once Fur Rondy participants clear out, protesters will be right at home with the homeless.
Pleasantly, police on foot patrol the downtown streets awakening homeless at Town Square as seen on Alaska’s News Source this past week.
Socialist group. Ha ha they got no clue what socialism is. Guaranteed they won’t like it. Try to protest in a socialist country then will machine gun you down. In socialism you have no rights to do anything but what the rulers tell you. Complete morons. Around the globe people trying to escape it and here they want to join it.. stupid
Just another way to gain attention. The so-called protesters are hoping for a reaction so they can claim to be martyrs. They will probably get it from the ADN and the leftest media. The rest should ignore, or maybe some witnessing to be sure the real trouble makers are filmed. That way, fewer lawsuits. Who is really pushing this? That is who should be unmasked.
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