BETHESDA, Md. (WUSA) -- You can make a fortune selling parking spots outside the US Open, but don't even dream of setting up a lemonade stand.
A county inspector ordered the Marriott and Augustine kids to shut down the stand they set up on Persimmon Tree Rd., right next to Congressional. And after they allegedly ignored a couple of warnings, the inspector fined their parents $500.
"This gentleman from the county is now telling us because we don't have a vendors license, the kids won't be allowed to sell their lemonade," Carrie Marriott told us, her voice trembling.
The kids can't seem to understand it. "I don't agree, I think the county is wrong." "We're sending the money to charity."...[Full Article]
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Maryland Transit Administration says more training may be called for after three MTA officers detained a man for taking pictures at a light rail station.
Pat Warren has more on the incident.
According to the ACLU, this isn’t the first time MTA Police have overstepped their bounds.
In a YouTube posting, Christopher Fussell left the camera rolling when he was confronted by three MTA officers for taking pictures at the Baltimore Cultural Light Rail Station.
“It is my understanding that I am free to take pictures as long as it’s not for commercial purposes but for personal use,” Fussell said in the video.
“Not on state property, not without proper authorization,” an officer said.
Fussell: “From who?”
Officer: “Nobody’s allowed to take pictures.”
The MTA admits the officers were in error.
“They can most certainly take photos of our system,” Ralign Wells, the MTA Administrator, said.
In addition to being wrong about MTA and state policy, the officer incorrectly cites the Patriot Act.
“Listen, listen to what I’m saying. The Patriot Act says that critical infrastructure, trains, train stations, all those things require certain oversight to take pictures, whether you say they are for personal use or whatever, that’s your story,” the officer said.
“So why don’t you have any signs posted to say I cannot take pictures?” Fussell said.
“Our officers have become very sensitive post 9/11 and we’re trying to see that they understand our passengers and citizens also have a right to take pictures,” Wells said.
The officer eventually threatened to take Fussell into custody.
“Do you have Maryland state identification on you?” the officer asked.
“I am not committing a crime,” Fussell said.
“Sir, I’m going to ask you one last time, then I’m going to take you into custody. Do we understand each other?” the officer said.
The ACLU considers it harassment by the MTA.
“This is not South Africa under apartheid and in this country, police do not have the right to walk up to you and demand you produce identification to them,” said David Rocah, ACLU.
The MTA acknowledges that additional training is in order.
“We’ll look at our training processes, we’ll look at whether any administrative situations need to occur with those officers,” Wells said.
The ACLU says it’s been working with the MTA on this very issue for five years, with no satisfactory result.
Fussell was detained for more than 40 minutes before MTA Police finally let him go on his way.
Reports of two explosions at the Maryland Department of Transportation’s headquarters in Hanover and a state government building in Annapolis should be treated with a huge amount of suspicion given the fact that the FBI has been caught habitually provocateuring patsies to commit bombings, most recently in Baltimore itself.
“A source has told 11 News that two packages exploded, one at the MDOT building and another at the Jeffrey Building on Francis Street in Annapolis. The source said when the packages were opened in the mail rooms of the buildings, a small explosion happened,” reports WBAL TV.
“Both were apparently sent through the mail, an official says. In both cases, the packages emitted a small bang or flame, but NBC’s Pete Williams said there were no explosives in the packages,” adds MSNBC. When the packages were opened, smoke was emitted and there was a chemical smell, say eyewitnesses.
Although this may be the amateur work of someone with a genuine grudge, as we have documented for years and in dozens of cases, such terror plots are routinely set up by the FBI who provide the patsy with explosives and radicalize them into carrying out such plots through their vast informant network.
One of the more recent examples also occurred in Baltimore, where 21-year-old Antonio Martinez became suspicious that he was being set up by the FBI in a plot to bomb a military recruitment center.
“There was nothing provided which showed that Mr. Hussain (Martinez) had any ability whatsoever to carry out any kind of plan,” Martinez’ lawyer Joseph Balter said, labeling the entire series of events a “creation of the government”.
Martinez became suspect that he was being set up by the feds after he learned about the case of another patsy in Oregon who had been groomed by the FBI to bomb a Christmas lighting ceremony.
As Geraldo Rivera explains in the clip below, every recent domestic terror plot has been contrived by the FBI as part of an entrapment ploy. Geraldo called the case against 21 year old Antonio Martinez a.k.a. Muhammad Hussain “bogus, absolutely bogus.”
Expect this latest incident to be exploited by Homeland Security as a justifcation for more invasions of privacy via the opening and confiscation of mail and parcels.
AssociatedPress—April 13, 2010 — The police department in Prince Georges County, Md. is investigating an incident captured on video that shows several county police officers beating a U. of Maryland student with batons after a school basketball game. (April 12)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Three Prince George's County police officers are under investigation after a video showed them beating an unarmed University of Maryland student with their batons after the Maryland-Duke game last month...
