Yesterday, newly-elected Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance held her inauguration at Town Square Park. Hundreds of people, including numerous elected officials, were in attendance. The emcee was former Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson.
As I parked and walked toward the event, first thing I encountered was more than a dozen leftists agitators, led by Michael Patterson from the Anchorage Party of Socialism and Liberation, on the sidewalk bounding Town Square Park very close to the inauguration. One of them, Billy Henthorn, was holding a megaphone.
These are the same people who have repeatedly interrupted Anchorage Assembly meetings in support of Hamas. They have even followed Assembly members to their vehicles after political events and harassed them.
Once the ceremony started, Henthorn began shouting in the megaphone phrases like, “Whose streets? Our streets!” The group loudly repeated the chants. When the Colors were presented and everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance, they loudly shouted, “Release the footage now!” and a variety of other slogans. Their point for interrupting the event was to get the Municipality to release body cam footage of a recent officer involved shooting.
Cries asking for the release of footage from recent shootings by Anchorage Police Department echoed through Town Square Park today during Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's inauguration. pic.twitter.com/wTOMXJsS4m
— Termination Dust Press (@TermDustPress) July 2, 2024
The agitators continued to loudly interrupt during the entirety of the inauguration, stopping only twice. Once when Aaron Leggett, the president of the Native village of Eklutna, spoke and once when a group of Native dancers from Southeast Alaska performed. This is because the group clearly knows their place in the woke hierarchy.
Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom (R – Alaska), who attended the event, told the Landmine, “I was disappointed I was not able to really hear Mayor LaFrance’s speech because of the protestors.”
I attended the inauguration to hear what Mayor LaFrance had to say about the big issues facing Anchorage like homelessness, snow plowing, and housing. I was also unable to clearly hear what she was saying due to the agitators.
They even shouted over her actual swearing in. pic.twitter.com/5Ptm1clddQ
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) July 1, 2024
When the main part of the ceremony concluded, the group entered Town Square Park and continued to shout using the megaphone. They were so loud it was difficult for attendees to even talk to each other when face-to-face. It ruined what should have been a happy and joyous event.
Now they have overtaken the main area. pic.twitter.com/JzBBEqIbN8
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) July 1, 2024
Anchorage Municipal Code requires a noise permit for such activity. The Landmine has confirmed the leftist agitators did not have one. But guess who did have one for the event? The Anchorage Downtown Partnership secured one for the inauguration of Mayor LaFrance. And there are conditions listed on the permit that the agitators violated. Their megaphone was definitely over 70 decibels, and probably over 90.
It bears noting this is not a free speech issue. The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently made it clear that there are time, place, and manner restrictions on the First Amendment. Free speech does not mean someone can ruin someone’s permitted event by screaming over them or using amplified electronics to prevent attendees from hearing their speech.
There were several Anchorage Police Department (APD) police officers in attendance, including newly-appointed Chief Sean Case. But they did not do a thing to stop the agitators, who were violating Anchorage Municipal Code. Instead of being an adult and instructing APD to deal with them, LaFrance acknowledged the nuisance during her speech and actually recognized them for “practicing their First Amendment rights.”
Is this how she is going to deal with all the homeless people who are destroying our public spaces? Is this a sign the LaFrance administration is going to tell Anchorage taxpayers that the homeless are just invoking their right to camp on public property because they have nowhere else to go?
At Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's inauguration today, she spoke to issues of housing and public safety over the protest regarding multiple police shootings, which she said "…includes staffing up [Anchorage Police Department] and investing in trust and communication." pic.twitter.com/nCG99ncBOV
— Termination Dust Press (@TermDustPress) July 2, 2024
It gets worse. After the event, LaFrance and Amanda Moser, who appears to now be working for LaFrance, went to talk to the agitators. They both just stood there looking like idiots while members of the group shouted over and insulted LaFrance. That interaction be seen below in the second video and then one below that. This interaction had a feeling of trying to explain a nuanced point to a person who is black-out drunk: it’s not going to happen.
Later after the event ended, LaFrance walked up to the group of protestors, listening to words from Bishar Hassan's brother Ahmed, before answering a question from Cynthia Gachupin-Patterson of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. pic.twitter.com/eg2BPTUHnC
— Termination Dust Press (@TermDustPress) July 2, 2024
LaFrance had the chance to be an adult and stand up to a group of agitators who have repeatedly engaged in this kind of disruption. But she chose to do the opposite. Imagine if a group of Save Anchorage types or Donald Trump supporters were doing the same thing? I have a feeling the reaction and ensuing media coverage of the event would have been very different.
I sincerely hope this will not be her approach to tackle the massive homeless problem the city faces, especially after the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives cities the power to finally deal with those who are camping in public spaces.
Excellent news coverage here. Thank you.
This is not “news coverage.” It’s Jeff’s opinion, highlighting Jeff’s supercilious assumption that he’s always right, and anyone who acts differently from him is not being an “adult.” To hear Jeff tell it, he knows better how the First Amendment applies than does our police chief, who has training and experience in First Amendment enforcement. I couldn’t hear the official speakers well, either, but that could have been corrected by simply turning up their mic. It has nothing to do with woke. Jeff wasn’t in Alaska yet, or wasn’t paying attention, when Jerry Prevo bussed in throngs to protest the… Read more »
I moved here in 2004. I was here for that, chief.
It was news coverage that we haven’5 gotten for years, specifically, names. Also, Landfield reported the fact tha5 th3 demonstrators did not have a permit to protest, including the use of a megaphone. H3 then opined (correctly) that the criminals could have (and should have) been arrested and dragged through the criminal prosecution process.
That’s news, and apparently the kind of news you don’t like published. Frankly, I don’t much like the new mayor or her entourage, so couldn’t care less if the anarchists urinated on her event, but that, too, would be a crime.
“Protests permits” are not required by the First Amendment, and Jeff isn’t a lawyer, so he doesn’t understand either the law or the politeness of a mayor that’s not going to start her term by illegally arresting protestors. Jeff’s just disappointed that Bronson didn’t win.
“………Protests permits” are not required by the First Amendment,……..” Nor are they banned by the First Amendment despite the many attempts to ban them legally, and such permits ARE required by just a tiny application of common sense. This event is just such an example of why. Even the administration got a public use permit to utilize the public space for the event. Disturbing a permitted gathering is an arrestable offense, not to mention demonstrating with a bullhorn without a permit. Have you ever led a demonstration while yelling into a bullhorn? I have, and yes, we had a permit.… Read more »
Permits are required by Municipal Code and as the article states, the courts have ruled on the time, manner and place where restrictions can be applied.
GREAT ARTICLE
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but remove SPACES
Given she opted against appointing Cross this shouldn’t come as a surprise. I bet she calls for release of the tapes at which point all hell will break loose.
I bet she doesn’t, that Mayor LaFrance will leave that to Acting Chief Cross. As she should.
LaFrance backs the police and the police back her. She was endorsed by APDEA. What she obviously does not back is Bianca Cross who told the public that officers killed Kris Handy because he pointed a gun at them when video proves he didn’t. When the footage came out, she didn’t own that they lied. She said the officers merely perceive reality unreasonably which is the insanity defense. I respect your perspective but I also think people are right to be mad about all this, Jeff.
This is one of the best reporting pieces Jeff has written. It’s so spot on it almost makes me sick. For a “mayor” to allow a couple of kooky people shout you down, is weak. She’s gonna be a rubber stamp and puppet for Christy Constantly complaining.
Why write “mayor”? LaFrance won fair and square. Enough with the unhinged, anti-American election denial.
There are far worse things a mayor can do on their first day than eat crow when being interrupted and extend an olive branch. Being reactionary to ensure that one doesn’t lose face is one way to lead a city, but it’s not a good way.
One must devise policy that makes public events welcoming to the whole city, minimizes noise pollution, and addresses homelessness. But damn, this is pretty harsh criticism for her slow-rolling her first 45 minutes.
“………There are far worse things a mayor can do on their first day than eat crow when being interrupted and extend an olive branch……….”
Agreed, but my bet is that her ‘olive branch’ will end up growing thorns and scarring her all up in short order. Being the mayor of this bloodthirsty town tends to end political careers, not bolster them. The only mayor to really grow from that job was Dimples, and he did that by being more bloodthirsty than his opponents.
Take a breath
Jeff’s going to lose his hair and gain weight if he keeps stressing like this.
Where can I donate
why would the police need to be told to enforce the law? that doesn’t make sense.
Good old fascist Jeff, who doesn’t believe in the First Amendment.
Read the fucking constitution!
Don’t you ever get sick of hearing, writing radical left. woke agenda labeling. Just stop all ready and write the articles
Do you understand the meaning of so-called woke 😅
Don’t forget that as Chair of the Assembly, Ms. LaFrance allowed the tinfoil hat anti-masking crowds to dominate meetings. I was afraid this spinelessness would continue into her mayoral administration, but not on day one!
It’s called tolerance. And it’s a good characteristic in an American politician.
There is a difference between an orderly dialogue and a pitchfork mob. She allowed the pitchfork mob to take over. That’s crossing the line, and goes well beyond “tolerance.”
My oh my, hosting a mayor-elect inaugural in city Square when there’s a Natzi radical right-wing cell living in the city. What could possibly go wrong.