2 men detained after vulgar banner shown during Va. Veterans Day ceremony

[mahatmakanejeeves]

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2 men detained after vulgar banner shown during Va. Veterans Day ceremony

Joshua Barlow | [e-mail]

November 12, 2021, 1:59 AM

Described as a “disagreement” over free speech by Virginia Capitol Police, two men were detained Thursday after a banner containing vulgar language was displayed during a Veterans Day ceremony in Richmond. ... The run-in began shortly after 11 a.m. when Ronald Hedlund, 60, of Glen Allen, drove his pickup truck over a sidewalk into a tow-away zone on Second Street near the base of the Virginia War Memorial’s amphitheater. ... There, he displayed a “vulgar” banner with language directed at President Joe Biden in clear view of ceremony attendees, Virginia Capitol Police said in a statement.

Police approached Hedlund and asked him to move. After he refused, officers chose to stay with him until the ceremony had ended to avoid further distractions during the ceremony. ... At the same time, Carl Grunow, a 58-year-old veteran from Chesterfield, Va., saw the banner and left the amphitheater during the ceremony. According to police, Grunow climbed into the bed of Hedlund’s truck, removed his suit jacket, and attempted to cover the banner with it. ... Police say there was no physical contact between Grunow and Hedlund.

After multiple attempts to coax Grunow from the truck, officers removed him from the vehicle, issued a summons for disorderly conduct, and escorted him to his car. ... Hedlund was ticketed for parking in a tow-away zone and allowed to leave.

“We are very sensitive to a person’s right to freely speak their mind, but when they will not work with our attempts to de-escalate matters, we are left with little choice.” Col. Anthony S. Pike, the agency’s chief, said. ... Pike also said Capitol Police might consult with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office on whether additional charges should be filed against Hedlund.

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[brush]

1. Tell us what the banner says pls since there's no image, even on the link.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Newsweek has it.

Last edited Fri Nov 12, 2021, 02:14 PM - Edit history (1)

But Newsweek is junk.

It's a simpler form of "Let's go, Brandon."

[Yarnie]

4. That's vulgar?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. It's a euphemism.

https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+banner+richmond+veteran

Virginia veteran charged after covering 'F*** Biden' sign at Veterans Day ceremony

By: WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff Posted at 3:14 PM, Nov 11, 2021 and last updated 9:03 AM, Nov 12, 2021

RICHMOND, Va. -- Two men were detained by Virginia Capitol Police outside Thursday's Veterans Day ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.

A 60-year-old Glen Allen man parked his pickup truck in an area of 2nd Street, near the memorial, that was blocked off as a special parking zone, according to a Capitol Police spokesperson.

A sign in the bed of his truck displayed the uncensored phrase "F*** Biden."

"[He] drove onto a sidewalk, around the barricades, and back onto 2nd into the prohibited area," a Capitol Police spokesperson wrote in an email. "After he parked on 2nd in a spot that made his truck highly visible to the Veterans Day ceremony crowd, Capitol Police officers approached him and asked him to move."

The truck driver, according to police, refused to move and questioned the officers' authority.

"Because the ceremony was already underway and Capitol Police did not want to cause further distractions, officers decided to remain with [him] at his truck until the ceremony ended before taking additional actions," the spokesperson's email continued.

By that point, at least one person in the crowd had apparently seen enough.

A 58-year-old veteran from Chesterfield left the Veterans Day ceremony, climbed into the truck, and attempted to cover the sign with his jacket.

Officers removed the veteran from the truck and later issued him a summons for disorderly conduct.

The truck driver was later ticketed for parking in a tow-away zone.

"I applaud our officers for their attempts to get [the truck driver] to leave peacefully and respect the ceremony honoring our veterans," Virginia Capitol Police Col. Anthony S. Pike said. "We take our role as peacekeepers seriously, and we try to de-escalate free speech matters whenever possible."

{snip}

This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email [e-mail] to send a tip.

[CrispyQ]

7. A perfect response to the whole Brandon thing:

[Woodswalker]

3. The thing I hate most

About rightwingdinglalings is that in your face confrontational asshat attitude.

[Deep State Witch]

5. And of course the wingnuts are butthurt

about their "freedom of speech" being violated.

I told one of them that those veterans served to guarantee the right to criticize the President - no matter who he (or she) is. They should be more respectful of that and keep politics out of it.

[doc03]

8. I see people with it every day with it on t shirts and caps

in the mall and other places. I thought there were decency laws but
I guess not.