The Riviera Beach Council once again couldn't stand to listen to activist Fane Lozman, but this time while police arrest him he ends up on the ground. Lozman says the officer yanked his hand, which was clutching the podium, in a way that caused his hip -- which is full of plates and pins after it was shattered ten years ago when he was struck by a car -- to give way. The officials on the dais and some audience members got a big laugh out of it, believing he feigned the whole thing.
The real issue here, though, is free speech. You may have seen the last video when Lozman was kicked out of city hall by police for speaking his mind during his allotted three-minute opportunity during public comments. Why can't a guy -- especially a guy who has had his home taken away (unlawfully, I believe) by the city -- get his full three minutes to vent in front of these elected officials without getting arrested. Because I can tell you that the things the city has done in the Lozman case are a whole lot more egregious that his speeches. Here's the Palm Beach Post story detailing what happened with Lozman last night.
And here's the video, you decide what you think:
After the jump, you can see the video where the same officer, Asst. Chief Danny Harris, physically removes Pepper Newman, who helped Lozman during his epic legal battle with the city, from the podium. It's pretty ridiculous (and it's toward the end of the video).
