Stubborn Catholic deacon arrested in mall for wearing anti-war t-shirt.

[pnwmom]

Good for him!!!!

The you-tube video about the arrest of the 80 year old war protester sent me looking for more info. The mall is owned by something called the Simon Property Group. Is a boycott in order?

Here's more info:

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-liwar305631629mar30,0,1085417.story

An 80-year-old church deacon was removed from the Smith Haven Mall yesterday in a wheelchair and arrested by police for refusing to remove a T-shirt protesting the Iraq War.

Police said that Don Zirkel, of Bethpage, was disturbing shoppers at the Lake Grove mall with his T-shirt, which had what they described as "graphic anti-war images." Zirkel, a deacon at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Wyandanch, said his shirt had the death tolls of American military personnel and Iraqis - 4,000 and 1 million - and the words "Dead" and "Enough." The shirt also has three blotches resembling blood splatters.

Police said in a release last night that Zirkel was handing out anti-war pamphlets to mallgoers and that mall security told him to stop and turn his shirt inside out. Zirkel refused to turn his shirt inside out and wouldn't leave, police said. Security placed him on "civilian arrest" and called police. When police arrived, Zirkel passively resisted attempts to bring him to a police car, the release said.

But Zirkel said he was sitting in the food court drinking coffee with his wife Marie, 77, and several others when police and mall security officers approached and demanded they remove their anti-war T-shirts.

The others complied, but Zirkel said he refused, and when he wouldn't stand up to be removed and arrested, authorities brought over a wheelchair. "They forcibly picked me up and put me in the wheelchair," said Zirkel, a deacon at one of the poorest Catholic parishes on Long Island, where a devastating fire recently destroyed the rectory and storage areas.

Zirkel was charged with criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

SNIP

[mmonk]

1. Welcome to the new Amerika.

[msongs]

2. he's done more than obamaclinton are doing about the iraq occupation nt

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Uh oh.

I hope he has someone who can help him decorate his new home: The Smithaven Mall.

[Rex]

4. Wow, fascist bastards.

What's the matter you lurking idiots? Too much truth giving you a rash?

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Thoughtcrime is doubleplusungood

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.


Big Brother is watching YOU!

[immoderate]

6. "graphic anti-war images"

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

--IMM

[Quantess]

7. Since they were acting within the law by ousting him,

it is up to consumers to express their disapproval of the mall's actions, and not spend any money there.

[pnwmom]

9. Exactly. n/t

[rurallib]

8. I know Simon owns lotsa malls all over the country

I think they are the ones that created the disappearing gift certificate - you know it loses so much % per month til it is gone. We avoid Simon's like a plague.

[pnwmom]

12. You're right. And they're the largest owner of shopping malls in the U.S.

I bet they have these anti-free-speech policies all over the country.

http://nyjobsource.com/simon.html

I hope Mr. Zirkel helps inspire a national boycott. I'm ready.

[Quantess]

14. Find a Simon Mall near you!!

http://www.simon.com/findamall/

[pnwmom]

15. Great link! Thanks! Time to start writing letters . . . . n/t

[readmoreoften]

16. Simons are as taboo for me as the 'Mart. They also refuse any 'satanic' imagery

at their mall. My gf used to work at a Simons Hot Topic. There was little product in the store.

[RedCappedBandit]

10. I can't wait until the semester is over

..so I can get some friends together to bring hell to this mall.

[pnwmom]

13. Bring LOTS of friends. The more, the merrier. n/t

[spanone]

11. so you have to dress politically correct? folks, it may already be over.