Randy Inman
Kim K.
I was at the Concord Mills protest but should I have been?
July 27th 2009 16:10
On July 26th 2009 I took part in a protest of Concord Mills Mall in North Carolina. It was my first political protest and you can read the cause of the protest here. But to sum it up, Simon Malls (who owns Concord Mills) shut down a right wing kiosk for it’s material opposing President Obama.
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The more I read about our protest of Concord Mills Mall the more I question if we should have been there to start with. Some people are making valid points that it is in Simon Malls rights to decide who can operate a business on their property. After all freedom does go both ways.
It can also be said that defending of free speech should take place against an oppressive government (like ours) rather than a business. The Concord Mills Mall protest did look like an anti government demonstration.
But I have decided that since we had a peaceful protest of Concord Mills Mall that we did have the right to be there. The police moved us off of the Mall’s property but let us assemble next to the main road in front. We did put away our signs and enter to mall at one point but we did no protesting inside. And to their credit Concord Mills Mall staff did not harass us or try to prevent us from entering.
I feel we did have the right to be protesting AND Simon Malls has the right to dictate who can operate on their property. But we do have the right to boycott that mall and to inform their customers (in a lawful manner) of the situation.
\
The more I read about our protest of Concord Mills Mall the more I question if we should have been there to start with. Some people are making valid points that it is in Simon Malls rights to decide who can operate a business on their property. After all freedom does go both ways.
It can also be said that defending of free speech should take place against an oppressive government (like ours) rather than a business. The Concord Mills Mall protest did look like an anti government demonstration.
But I have decided that since we had a peaceful protest of Concord Mills Mall that we did have the right to be there. The police moved us off of the Mall’s property but let us assemble next to the main road in front. We did put away our signs and enter to mall at one point but we did no protesting inside. And to their credit Concord Mills Mall staff did not harass us or try to prevent us from entering.
I feel we did have the right to be protesting AND Simon Malls has the right to dictate who can operate on their property. But we do have the right to boycott that mall and to inform their customers (in a lawful manner) of the situation.
Protest outside of Concord Mills Mall in North Carolina
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
There is sometimes a fine line between freedom of speech and obscenity. We all have the right to swing our fists, until they connect with someone else's face. We can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded building (just for fun).
I'm glad you went to the protest, I would have been there if I could have, too. It's the malls right to have whatever people they want to sell their wares in their mall, but it's the right of buyers to shop where they want, as well. Boycotts tend to get attention.