No Kings Ridgecrest
Where: Freedom Park, 100 California Ave., Ridgecrest, CA
Saturday 10/18:
9am: Guest Speakers
🎤Professor Endicott: The Constitution
🎤Patrick Robb, House candidate: Unity through Empathy
🎤Sandra Van Scotter, House candidate: What is a protest?
10am: March
12pm: End of Event
🚗Parking
Freedom Park
Kerr McGee Center Parking
Street parking (Balsam, Grande, Garnet, Gemstone)
Petroglyph Park
Closed Rite Aid & Bank Of America
DO NOT PARK at the abandoned lot on the SE corner of Ridgecrest & China Lake Blvd (this is owned by the Patriot Bar and the owner always complains about us.) Also do not park at any of the surrounding businesses even though it is a Saturday morning when they may be closed.
If you are able to, please carpool or get dropped off if possible.
🚻Bathrooms
Freedom Park
Kerr McGee Center (opens at 10am)
Petroglyph Park
McDonald’s
Grocery Outlet
Burger King
Please patronize the business by buy a small snack or drink if using their facilities.
🛍️What to Bring
Attire: A hat, walking shoes, wear yellow to symbolized collective strength, and please inflatable Halloween costumes 🙏
Stuff: American Flags, your protest sign, and sunscreen.
Your Peeps: Friends, family, and neighbors.
🎵Music
Need a beat in your step for the march? Bring your earbuds and check out this YouTube Music playlist. Sing it!
🙋🙋♂️Federal Employees
In general, federal employees have the right to protest as private citizens in their own time. You still have First Amendment rights! Just don’t wear anything that would indicate which agency you work for as you are there on your own time and not representing the agency in any capacity. There are however limitations to SES level positions being able to participate under the Hatch Act.
If you are concerned about the NSPM-7, we are too. Please read our previous newsletter addressing this.
Nervous about interacting with MAGA?
If people yell at you from their cars, don’t bother with an argument. Instead show joy. People want to break your spirit, don’t let them. If you encounter a conservative who wants to talk, encourage them to share why they feel the way they do and share your personal story for why you at No Kings. If they are looking for an argument, you do not have to engage. If you need help, we will have marshals available to move people along.
📖Info by the ACLU
Your rights
- You don’t need a permit to march in the streets or on sidewalks, as long as marchers don’t obstruct car or pedestrian traffic. If you don’t have a permit, police officers can ask you to move to the side of a street or sidewalk to let others pass or for safety reasons.
- When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police. On private property, the owner may set rules related to photography or video.
- Counterprotesters also have free speech rights. Police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally. Police are permitted to keep antagonistic groups separated but should allow them to be within sight and sound of one another.
What happens if the police issues an order to disperse the protest?
- Shutting down a protest through a dispersal order must be law enforcement’s last resort. Police may not break up a gathering unless there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, interference with traffic, or other immediate threat to public safety.
- If officers issue a dispersal order, they must provide a reasonable opportunity to comply, including sufficient time and a clear, unobstructed exit path.
- Individuals must receive clear and detailed notice of a dispersal order, including how much time they have to disperse, the consequences of failing to disperse, and what clear exit route they can follow, before they may be arrested or charged with any crime.
FAQs
- Can I bring my dog? Yes, people did last time and had a great time
- Should I bring a cellphone? We advise that it is better to have one for your personal safety than not. Ridgecrest has a Flock camera system, so if DHS really wanted to know who was at the protest- they could use that to find out as well.
- Should I bring my children? It depends, use your judgement as parents.
- Will there be food vendors? No, but there is fast food and stores in the shopping center where you can grab a snack.
📓Previous Newsletters about No Kings Ridgecrest
Ridgecrest 50501 