By most all accounts, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did a very good dealing with protestors during the DNC. The CMPD did not use the stricter police powers granted it by the city’s “extraordinary events” ordinance, which was passed with the DNC in mind. So why keep the “extraordinary events” ordinance then?
Good question. The answer from the powers that be would likely be that it’s useful during events like the Speed Street and the 4th of July celebrations. That’s not a very good answer though, exactly because during those sort of events the civil liberty concerns are the greatest. There are many legitimate uses for the items the “extraordinary events” ordinance bans — as the UPoR mentions, someone could have a bike chain because, you know, they want to chain up their bike after they ride up to see the fireworks — and people with those legitimate uses are much more likely to be near the extraordinary event zone during all events besides the DNC. So why if the CMPD can manage a function like the DNC which attracts hundreds of protestors, some with anarchistic tendencies, without the ordinance, why does it need it the rest of the time?
