ISP Arrests Forty-Four Protesters for Trespassing at Idaho State Capitol

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IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
Teresa Baker
Public Information Officer
Headquarters
700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642
(208) 884-7122
Fax (208) 884-7087

For Immediate Release: 2/3/14 at 4:00 p.m.

MERIDIAN - On February 3, 2014, at approximately 8:13 a.m., Idaho State Police received reports that protesters intended to block the doors to the Senate Chambers in the Idaho State Capitol. Troopers from the Capitol Security detail, as well as, Troopers from the District 3 Office responded and found approximately forty-four protesters blocking the three entrances to the Senate floor.

The Senate's Sergeant of Arms and the Senate Pro Tempore requested the protesters move as the Senate prepared to convene. Protesters were informed that they would be arrested for trespassing if they refused to move. A representative of the protesters told Senate leadership and Troopers that they would not move and indicated that they wanted to be arrested as a form of civil disobedience.

Troopers arrested the protesters without incident and escorted them to a room in the Statehouse where each were cited for trespassing and released. Idaho State Police finished processing the citations at approximately 1:00 p.m. and released the last of the protesters. The protesters arrested included three juveniles.

Under Idaho law, a citation for trespassing is a misdemeanor and is punishable by imprisonment of up to six (6) months, a fine not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or both.

The Idaho State Police were assisted by the Ada County Sheriff's Office and the Boise Police Department.

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