Edgar Orea brought me this footage. He’s a street preacher who was arrested in Bluefield, West Virginia for the content of his protected First Amendment speech. Edgar and his wife moved to Bluefield in order to serve the people of nearby McDowell County, West Virginia, which is the poorest county in the entire nation. But from the very beginning, they were harassed by the Bluefield Police Department, as you’ll see in the video. The police objected to the content of their message. In this particular incident, they actually arrested Mr. Orea and took him to jail based on the content of his anti-abortion sign, which showed an aborted fetus.

There was a similar case litigated in Kentucky: World Wide Street Preachers’ v. City of Owensboro, 342 F.Supp.2d 634 (W.D. Ky. 2004). In that case, another street preacher was arrested in a public park for showing a large sign with a similar photograph of an aborted fetus. The police claimed that this was causing public alarm and was likely to cause a confrontation. So they cited the individual, but otherwise didn’t arrest him or interfere with his other activities. The Court held:

“A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it induces a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or even stirs people to anger. Speech is often provocative and challenging. It may strike at prejudices and preconceptions and have profound unsettling effects as it presses for acceptance of an idea. Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1, 4, 69 S.Ct. 894, 93 L.Ed. 1131 (1949)….”

“In light of Supreme Court precedent, the Court cannot find that the Plaintiffs’ sign, no matter how gruesome or how objectionable it may be, constitutes “fighting words.” The Plaintiffs’ speech, whether one agrees with it or not, was certainly not of “slight social value.” Rather, their speech was a powerful, albeit graphic commentary on a societal debate that divides many Americans. Furthermore, their speech was not directed at any particular person. Their speech commented on a highly significant social issue and was calculated to challenge people, to unsettle them, and even to anger them, but not to insult them. Such social commentary is not only protected under Supreme Court precedent but also is highly valued in the marketplace of ideas in our free society.”

Here, the Bluefield Police Department did much more than issue a citation, but rather placed Mr. Orea in handcuffs and carted him off for incarceration. Then they refused to return his signs, except for one. They charged him with two criminal misdemeanors: disorderly conduct and obstruction, two favorites of law enforcement officers for arresting people who have committed no crime. Fortunately, the charges were dismissed by the Court following a motion to dismiss based on the First Amendment.

Street Preacher Arrested in Bluefield, WV for Graphic Anti-Abortion Signs

source

33 thoughts on “Street Preacher Arrested for Graphic Sign”
  1. him using the state of emergency as a means to violate someones rights, is actually very corrupt. these cops want nothing more then to have complete authority over you. it's dirty that the governor thought he could do that over the constitution.

  2. Want to go to heaven? Trust Jesus Christ. His life, death, burial, and resurrection. The fact that he died for our sins. We are all sinners, and deserve hell. Jesus Christ is the only way to the father in heaven. He is the way the truth and the no One cometh unto the Father, but by him. Being a good person doesn't get you to heaven. Only receiving the free gift of salvation given to us by Jesus Christ gets us there. He took our sin upon him, and if we put our trust in him, and receive his forgiveness for our sins.. his righteousness is transferred to our account. Our righteousness is an offense to God. The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags. We are saved by the mercy of God. We are saved by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

  3. Lieutenant Vance is an enemy of the Gospel. God's judgment is very real. God is merciful, patient, long suffering and he gives people space to repent. He is so good, why would anybody want to be his enemy? Hell is a very real consequence of rejecting Jesus Christ. When you abuse your power as a police officer, which is one of God's ordained institutions.. (government) you should be very afraid. God wants everybody to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. Trust Jesus Christ today, receive his forgiveness for your sin, because we are all sinners. We all deserve hell. But Jesus Christ suffered and took our hell for us. Won't you be saved today friend? Won't you be forgiven for your sin? Ask Jesus Christ to forgive you and save you. Romans 10:13 says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. According to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.. the gospel is that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scripture, and that he was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the scriptures. If you believe that and call on Jesus Christ to save you he will save you from your sin and eternity in hell and you can become a child of God. We are not all children of God, you have to want to be, and you have to be adopted into the family of God.. and that happens at the time of salvation. Want to go to heaven? Trust Jesus christ. Want to go to hell? Do nothing or try to work your way to heaven. (Good works, church membership, baptism, nothing gets you to heaven except for putting your trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. It's a free gift!!! Please don't reject this wonderful gift.

  4. One would think that in the police policys it states that, as a police officer you must go out of your way to make a fool of yourself? I'm glad we are all in the process of pushing back on this tyranny and getting these people straightened out before things get even more out of control. Thank you to everybody for doing your part and being productive.

  5. These police are so ashamed of their actions that they are hiding their faces. Whenever a government uses the word ""emergency" the government is steeling our freedom, wealth and opportunity.
    Regards,
    Geoff. Reeks

  6. These Bluefield West Virginia tyrants look like gang members, with their gang bandannas pulled up to the bottom of their eyes. The pandemic is long past, so that’s no excuse! They really do earn the hate they receive.

  7. In this case I will talk. It definitely IS too graphic for children, and most definitely NOT REAL. It is MISenformation about people's lives. Free speech should have a realististic and observable scientific observation when making the scientific claims. But religious believes are NOT Scientific. Religions Can preach, but ONLY with observation when talking about science that ISN'T MENTIONED IN THEIR BELIEF SYSTEMS,…NAMELY THE BIBLE, KOREAN, AND OTHERS. The reason it's not real is that every doctor MUST apply live saving medical treatment whenever an unborn or preborn infant is born or delivered while capable of life under a doctor's care. No unborn child that God has giving his "breath" to (as the Bible state's has happened (YET) ) without being born and taken its own breath.

    This is NOT MY BELIEVE. This is the BIBLE'S TEACHING.
    People who make up these things to control others, are of the same mind. Set that the Police do to control others.

Leave a Reply