Readers,
American Recycler News is based out of Perrysburg, Ohio, which is a stone’s throw from Toledo. Recently, Toledo had the distasteful task of hosting a rally of the National Socialist Movement – or as they’re more widely known, neo-Nazis. Back in 2005, this same group demonstrated in Toledo and resulted in a riot and the arrest of more than 100 people.
But instead of leaving the neo-Nazis to face their audience directly, the City of Toledo spent approximately $80,000 on overtime for the Toledo Police Department (TPD) to run interference. That tally is for TPD overtime only – it does not include the cost of operating a police helicopter for hours, or the costs of bringing other law enforcement agencies in to help. The role of police is to allow groups to safely express their First Amendment rights.
There will also be additional costs associated with the city’s efforts in the court system to ban firearms at the event. The city twice requested that a local judge grant a temporary restraining order that would allow them to ban both the neo-Nazis and the protestors from carrying firearms at the event. After the judge twice refused, the city chose to do so anyways (some would argue in blatant violation of established Ohio law) and set up metal detectors at the event’s entrances.
That same day, elsewhere in the city, the Toledo Fair Housing Center also held a demonstration. They hosted a civil rights march that ended with the dedication of a mural of Martin Luther King, Jr. But that demonstration of speech only warranted a token police presence – they certainly weren’t afforded helicopter surveillance.
Police presence is necessary to prevent acts of violence or rioting in response to any group of protestors. But it seems a waste to put so much time, effort and taxpayer money into protecting some groups and their detestable messages. Perhaps those spewing the most vitriol would be less inclined to do so if they had to directly face the consequences of their words without police protection.
Thanks for reading. Until next month,
Esther Fournier
Publisher & Editor
American Recycler News
Published in the May 2015 Edition of American Recycler News
