“We are defending free speech.”
Jan Cohen and her group Good Trouble Indivisible are defending their right to continue using chalk to post sidewalk messages in Saugatuck and Douglas opposing deployment of soldiers to U-S cities, health care cuts and immigration arrests.
“We are taking a stand for the people in the country.”
Most weekends Cohen and her group chalk sidewalks in Saugatuck and Douglas. She says no one bothered them until she was confronted by Saugatuck councilman Gregory Muncey.
“I want you to stop. I want you to stop right now. And I said I was not going to. He said this is not legal, I am not allowed to do this and started yelling he is Gregory Muncey, councilman on the Saugatuck council."
Muncey admits the pair spoke.
“I want to apologize to Jan. I would never want to intimidate you."
He says his only comment was about the mess.
"How dirty it made the sidewalk. Everybody has the right to freedom of speech and if I think something is ugly, I can say it’s ugly.
Now Saugatuck and Douglas city councils are debating ordinances that ban chalking on the grounds it defaces public property. Saugatuck City Councilman Russ Gardner:
“The city has to protect its taxpayer supported assets, right? Sidewalks.”
