Pushback: Pastor who was arrested in Seattle for reading the Bible aloud wins in court
Fight! Fight! Fight!: In 2022 Pastor Matthew Meinecke was arrested two different times by the Seattle police when he attended pro-abortion rallies and simply stood in the crowd and read the Bible aloud. What was worse was that when he was attacked by the pro-abortion protesters the police arrested him, not the attackers.
The conflict came about because Pastor Meinecke went to a Seattle pro-abortion rally to read the Bible aloud, hold up a sign and hand out literature. He was censored and arrested on two separate occasions for simply reading the Bible to others because his Gospel-oriented message triggered hostile reactions from activists.
Despite his evangelistic and peaceful intent, some individuals in the crowd, including Antifa members, did not receive the message well. They took Meinecke’s Bible away from him, ripped out pages, knocked Meinecke down and took one of his shoes. When Seattle police finally arrived at the scene, they did not offer any aid to Meinecke. Instead, they ordered Meinecke to leave and go to a space where he could no longer convey his message, and then arrested him when he declined to do so.
The same thing happened two days later at public park during a queer “PrideFest.”
Meinecke sued, and in April the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled [pdf] entirely in his favor, laying the groundwork for a complete victory during a subsequent trial. This week his lawyers, the non-profit legal firm First Liberty, obtained a settlement with the city of Seattle, in a consent agreement that signaled that victory for Meinecke.
The consent order provides Pastor Meinecke all the relief he sought in the case. He is now free to read his Bible or share the gospel on the streets of Seattle without fear of arrest. He also received monetary damages for the two false arrests, along with reasonable attorney fees and expenses.
It also appears this agreement effectively nullifies Seattle’s policy of arresting what it considers “hecklers” such as Meinecke, even if they are doing nothing but speaking aloud. In this case the city clearly enforced that rule in a manner that favored one opinion over another.
Will the ruling result in the return of free speech in Seattle? Don’t bet on it. The people who attacked Meinecke — video of which you can see here — are just as vicious and intolerant as before, dominate the culture of Seattle, and will continue to attack anyone who dares speak out against them in public. The left has no respect for the first amendment. It only wants the freedom for it to protest, demonstrate, riot, and commit violence. Everyone else must shut up.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Fight! Fight! Fight!: In 2022 Pastor Matthew Meinecke was arrested two different times by the Seattle police when he attended pro-abortion rallies and simply stood in the crowd and read the Bible aloud. What was worse was that when he was attacked by the pro-abortion protesters the police arrested him, not the attackers.
The conflict came about because Pastor Meinecke went to a Seattle pro-abortion rally to read the Bible aloud, hold up a sign and hand out literature. He was censored and arrested on two separate occasions for simply reading the Bible to others because his Gospel-oriented message triggered hostile reactions from activists.
Despite his evangelistic and peaceful intent, some individuals in the crowd, including Antifa members, did not receive the message well. They took Meinecke’s Bible away from him, ripped out pages, knocked Meinecke down and took one of his shoes. When Seattle police finally arrived at the scene, they did not offer any aid to Meinecke. Instead, they ordered Meinecke to leave and go to a space where he could no longer convey his message, and then arrested him when he declined to do so.
The same thing happened two days later at public park during a queer “PrideFest.”
Meinecke sued, and in April the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled [pdf] entirely in his favor, laying the groundwork for a complete victory during a subsequent trial. This week his lawyers, the non-profit legal firm First Liberty, obtained a settlement with the city of Seattle, in a consent agreement that signaled that victory for Meinecke.
The consent order provides Pastor Meinecke all the relief he sought in the case. He is now free to read his Bible or share the gospel on the streets of Seattle without fear of arrest. He also received monetary damages for the two false arrests, along with reasonable attorney fees and expenses.
It also appears this agreement effectively nullifies Seattle’s policy of arresting what it considers “hecklers” such as Meinecke, even if they are doing nothing but speaking aloud. In this case the city clearly enforced that rule in a manner that favored one opinion over another.
Will the ruling result in the return of free speech in Seattle? Don’t bet on it. The people who attacked Meinecke — video of which you can see here — are just as vicious and intolerant as before, dominate the culture of Seattle, and will continue to attack anyone who dares speak out against them in public. The left has no respect for the first amendment. It only wants the freedom for it to protest, demonstrate, riot, and commit violence. Everyone else must shut up.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
I’d be interested in knowing if the Seattle police ever arrested a “heckler” at a conservative event. (Do they even allow those in Seattle?) In my experience, the “heckler’s veto” is an almost invincible force when applied against any group not favored by the ruling elite.
Everyone wants to fight these days.
One anti-abortion activist followed a patient or practitioner to the car when accosted himself…folks need to leave each other alone… don’t block roads or get up in each other’s face.
We had one guy who liked to stand at a street corner doing similar street evangelism…I recognized him back when I worked security at the liquor store:)
Related to insanity:
WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO INSANITY
“I read two stories today that clearly illustrate to me where the once Liberal and now radical, woke, progressive agenda formulated and championed by and rammed through our American political, education and cultural systems by the Democrat (and RINO) party has landed us.”
https://www.sigma3ioc.com/post/we-have-been-delivered-to-insanity
Good for him.
Will anyone enforce said consent decree?
I read this, and followed the link to the site. There’s a donate button there, and I did make a one-time donation (all that my current budget will permit).