6/14/13 Education advocates found not guilty for March protest

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Educationadvocatesfoundnot
guiltyforMarchprotest
MENSAHM.DEAN,DailyNewsStaffWriterdeanm@phillynews.com,215
5688278
POSTED:Friday,June14,2013,6:01AM
SIXTEENEDUCATIONadvocateswho
werearrestedinMarchforblocking
auditoriumdoorwaysduringaraucousprotestatSchool
Districtheadquarterswereacquittedyesterday.
MunicipalJudgeT.FrancisShieldsgrantedajudgmentof
acquittalattherequestoffourdefenseattorneysafter
hearingattorneyargumentsandtestimonyfrompoliceLt.
JosephO'Brien,thetrial'sonlywitness.
InissuinghisorderShieldssaidhebelievedtheprotesters
"wentalittletoofar"butstillconcurredwithdefense
attorneysthatO'Brienhadfailedtoidentifyanyofthe16
defendantsasthosewhoblockedthethreedoorwaysinto
theSchoolReformCommissionmeeting.
"We'rethrilled.Justiceforthesedefendantsandjusticefor
Philadelphiaschools,"saiddefenseattorneyLawrence
Krasner.
TheMarch7protestinsidetheschooladministrationbuilding
onBroadStreetnearSpringGardenwasinoppositiontothe
commission'splannedvotetoclose23schools.Among
thosearrestedwasRandiWeingarten,presidentofthe
AmericanFederationofTeachers,thenation'ssecond
largestteachersunion.(Shewasnotamongthedefendants
ontrial.)
KrasnerandfellowdefenseattorneysGiovanniCampbell,
LloydLongandMichaelLeearguedthattheirclientsdidnot
committhecrimeofdisorderlyconductbylinkingarmsatthe
doorwaysbecausenohazardousconditionwascreated.
Linkingarmsinprotest,KrasnertoldShields,hasalong
historyamongprotesters,includingcivilrightsleaderMartin
LutherKing,andisa"wayofspeakingaboutwhatyouare
doing."
Leecalledtheprotesters'actions"symbolicspeech."
ButAssistantDistrictAttorneyGregEnglesaidtheprotesters
werecoordinated,didcreateariskofdangerandblocked
membersofthepublicfromenteringthemeeting.
"Thefactthatnoemergencyhappenedisnotadispositive
Friday,June14,2013 Friday,June14,2013
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6/14/13 Education advocates found not guilty for March protest
www.philly.com/philly/news/20130614_Education_advocates_found_not_guilty_for_March_protest.html 2/3
MENSAHM.DEAN
DailyNewsStaffWriterdeanm@phillynews.com,2155688278

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Comments(1)
Registertocomment
0likethis/0don'tPosted6:29AM,06/14/2013
TheSDPistryingtoprivatizepubliceducation.
Thiswillnotsaveanymoneyforthetaxpayers.
Justbecausethecharterschoolteacherswillgetpaidpeanutsdoesn'tmeantheceo'swon'tget
paidwell.
Theresultwillbeschoolswithspottyperformances,nocostcutsandnotaxreductions.
Thesolutiontourbanpubliceducationisgettingmoreparentsinvolvedintheirchildren'slearning.
colonelflagg1
Signintoreportabuse
Signintopostacomment
fact,"Engletoldthejudge.
"TheSRCisanunelectedboard,sotheydidn'thavetolisten
tous.Sowedecidedtoblockthedoorstomakethemlisten,"
saidClaireGalpern,25,oneofthe16defendantsanda
memberofYouthUnitedforChange.

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6/14/13 Education advocates found not guilty for March protest
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