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People Arrested at Nazi Rally Appear in Court
Dec 12, 2005, 01:22 PM CST

"TOLEDO -- Some of the 30 people arrested during Saturday's Nazi rally are making their first appearances in court. Several appeared in Toledo Municipal Court for disorderly conduct and other charges, while others appeared before a separate judge, charged with violating a restraining order that said people could not rally anywhere in the city except at Government Center."

A group of people from Chicago who were pulled over in a car say their rights were violated when they were arrested on Sylvania Avenue. They say they were driving to meet other people to go to the rally when they were stopped and picked up. Police say a city attorney had probable cause to charge the five people with violating the injunction that prevented people from protesting anywhere but Government Center. Officers also found slingshots in the car.

"The people arrested miles away from the rally can't understand why they had to spend time in jail. "We didn't even know that it was illegal to assemble where we did," said Jevon Pierson, one of those arrested. "We didn't even protest at all. We didn't have a megaphone or anything." "The judge was quite clearly putting forth a decree that was unconstitutional," said Jose Martin of the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism. "It is our First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. The judge can't decide where or when. That is our right.""