Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23
Christian Miles Vows to Fight Obscenity Charge After 7-Minute Reflecting Pool Arrest
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23

Christian Miles Vows to Fight Obscenity Charge After 7-Minute Reflecting Pool Arrest

2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23

Summary

  • Christian Miles, a Washington resident arrested Monday near the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, said he will contest a federal obscenity charge after officers handcuffed him during a confrontation with Oklahoma state troopers.
  • Seven minutes after a trooper told him he was free to film, Miles said he was arrested for obscene language while protesting the tightened security around the recently renovated pool.
  • The charge cites federal regulation 2.34(a)(2), which bars disorderly conduct involving obscene, threatening or menacing language likely to provoke injury or an immediate breach of the peace.
  • The arrest comes as Donald Trump blames alleged vandals for damage to the $14.2 million pool renovation, even though the site has also been hit by algae blooms and peeling paint.

Insights

Why did a $14 million patriotic pool renovation fail before the nation's 250th anniversary celebration?
When does profane protest language cross the line from protected free speech into a federal crime?