PRESS RELEASE:
Contact: Kirk D. Lyons 828-669-5189
12 NOVEMBER 2001
SLRC to File Suit Over
Civil Rights Violations by the
City of Mobile, Alabama
Black Mountain, NC -
Tim Meadows was handcuffed and
arrested at the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Day Parade and charged with
interfering with a public event (disorderly conduct). Tim was exercising
his right as an American citizen to display the Confederate Battle Flag
in the Veterans Day Parade. Richard Casdollar, Vice President of Mobile
Bay Area The Veteran’s Day Commission, agreed to let the Col Alexander
McKinstry Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans march in the parade, but
only without the Confederate Battle Flag.
According to the Camp’s attorney Kirk D. Lyons this was an illegal act
because Cashdollar, "cannot discriminate when citizen’s tax dollars are
being used to organize the parade." City, parade and police
officials were all warned in writing that harassment, coercion or arrest
of any person carrying a Confederate Battle Flag would lead to the
"Mother of all Civil Rights lawsuits."
The SCV marchers were given an assigned spot in
the parade, #6-10. This was right behind a troop of Mobile area
Boy Scouts. Lyons warned the SCV marchers that the Parade
Commission would allow the display of the 1st National Confederate Flag
and the current national Confederate Flag, but anyone carrying a Battle
Flag was liable to be arrested if attempted to march. Lyons
declared that he intended to carry his Confederate Battle Flag, whatever
the consequences.
The others marchers including Tim Meadows,
McKinstry Camp Commander David McCombs, his adjutant Charles Butler as
well as a contingent from the Beauregard Camp in New Orleans (God Bless
Shannon Walgemutte, Lynda Moreau, Dave Holcombe and Roy Lilly) resolved
individually to keep their Battle Flags. Lyons requested Reggie
Phillips and Leonard Wilson carry a different flag so that they would be
available as spokesman if anyone was arrested. Two video cameras
were in place to record the event as well as still photographers.
Before the parade began the group prayed that Christ would protect the
SCV marchers and turn the hearts of those who hated them. They then
began to march out of the civic center parking lot singing Dixie and
marching at a slow cadence.
At the civic center gate the Mobile police
illegally barricaded the SCV marchers from the parade for 10 minutes
using about 15 officers and two patrol cars under the command of Capt
Kennedy. Lyons had issued strict instructions that any marcher
touching a policeman could be liable for an assault charge so the
marchers were careful not to bump into an officer. Lyons warned
the officers repeatedly that this was a violation of his and his clients
civil and constitutional rights and that the group should be permitted
to march or be arrested. Lyons and the marchers sought ways to get
around the officers, but the pass was too narrow. Lyons bumped an
officer and knocked his hat off, but quickly apologized. The
consensus of the marchers was that everyone was about to be arrested.
Then SCV member Tim Meadows successfully eluded
the police, began marching and was arrested. Police attention was
momentarily diverted from the rest of the marchers. Lyons and the
SCV marchers chose to evade the illegal police barricade by quickly
exiting the civic auditorium parking lot by another gate and wove their
way through Mobile’s narrow streets to resume their assigned spot in the
line of paraders. While waiting on the sidewalk for the Boy Scouts
to pass, Mobile police officers were trying to block Lyons and the SCV
marchers from walking on the public sidewalk. Lyons and the
McKinstry Camp marchers then resumed their proper spot in line. No
one jumped, broke, gatecrashed or slinked into line as has been
reported.
"Many parade onlookers cheered and clapped.
There were some boos, but the response was positive overall," said
Lyons. The SLRC is already preparing the lawsuit against the City
of Mobile, Richard Cashdollar and the Veteran’s Day Commission on the
grounds that Tim Meadow’s and the McKinstry Camp SCV’s civil and
constitutional rights were violated and that false imprisonment and
excessive force were used in controlling the SCV marchers on the
personal orders of Mobile Mayor Michael C. Dow.
Tim Meadows was released on a $250.00 cash bond
and is scheduled to appear in Court on December 17. After release,
Tim was taken to a local hospital and treated for two sprained wrists
due to excessive force used in the arrest. Tim is a painter by
trade. Lyons referred to Tim Meadows as "the Rosa Parks of
Confederate Heritage."
The SLRC is non-profit, tax exempt, South Carolina
public law firm that specializes in cases involving Southern Heritage
violations.
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wish to be on our distribution list, please let us know. Our address is
SLRC, P.O. Box 1235, Black Mountain, NC 28711. Phone: 828-669-5189 Dr.
Payne and Atty. Lyons SCV members, I.N. Giffen,758, Black Mountain, NC