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NYCLU Sues NYPD Over "Enforced Patriotism" at Yankee Stadium
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 15, 2009
Modified Apr 15, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 15, 2009
Modified Apr 15, 2009
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As expected, the NYCLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a man who says two NYPD officers forcibly ejected him from the old Yankee stadium last summer when he attempted to use the restroom during the seventh inning stretch, during a broadcast of insipid jingoistic jingle "God Bless America." You'll recall that during a game on August 26th an officer stopped Red Sox fan Brad Campeau-Laurion on his way to the bathroom, telling him that he must wait for the song to conclude. When Campeau-Laurion replied, "Look, I don't care about God Bless America," the cop allegedly grabbed his right arm and twisted it behind his back.
A second officer then twisted Campeau-Laurion's left arm behind his back, and the two officers marched him down to the stadium’s exit, refusing to loosen their grips, even though Campeau-Laurion says he wasn't resisting them. He insists the incident ended with one of the officers telling him to "leave the country if he didn’t like it." When his story made headlines last year, the NYPD issued a statement claiming that the officers observed Campeau-Laurion "standing on his seat, cursing, using inappropriate language and acting in a disorderly manner while reeking of alcohol, and decided to eject him rather than subject others to his offensive behavior." (Campeau-Laurion counters that he drank two beers during the game and derides that statement as "ridiculous. That's completely false.")
After the September 11th attacks, Yankee stadium began requiring spectators to remain in their seats while "God Bless America"—and the pre-game national anthem—were played, in some cases extending chains to block the end of the aisles. The NYCLU argues that the policy, when implemented by the NYPD, amounts to enforced patriotism and "a violation of the constitutional principles that our country is founded on." Below, a video of the pinko America-hating hippie terrorist himself explaining why he wanted to empty his bladder right when God was blessing our nation:
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god bless america
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yankee stadium
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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