Right to Assemble

This week, Thursday, we will again host a Picnic-In on the Capitol steps. In today's Richmond Times-Dispatch there is an excellent editorial summarizing "the issue," an illegal arrest of women's rights protestors, that kicked off the organization of Mothers' Awakening. In this editorial a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates outlines the law protecting peaceful assembly in the Commonwealth and the various groups that have, perhaps inadvertently, created a policy of disallowing assembly anywhere on the Capitol grounds except the Bell Tower. Here is an excerpt from the summary of his letter to the editor:

Without question any guidelines adopted should permit citizens to assemble on the steps of the Capitol or anywhere else on the grounds that doesn't interfere with the business of making laws. Anything less violates Virginia's Constitution.

Along those same lines, major kudos to Meghan McSweeney for posting this quote and gorgeous picture on the MA!!! facebook page:

I don't know about you all but I will show up every day that I can to make sure that these beautiful people have equal rights.

Image provided by Meghan McSweeney

Come join us again this Thursday!!! These are the peoples' steps and we will assemble :)