This Editor Declares Candidacy & Next Day NJ Asm Freiman Calls the Cops

I will claim it – if the politicians call the cops after I (Bob WItanek, Free Speech Unity candidate) declare a challenge to their candidacy for re-election – I must be doing something right. What are they afraid of?

On Monday March 17 Democratic Party assembly members and re-election candidates invited the public to a nominating petition signing event at a public local bagel shop in Montgomery Township. This editor attended with my own petition in hand to challenge each of the candidates. My communication to them was clear. I made an attempt to open a dialogue, explaining the primary reason for my candidacy and suggesting a path for each of them that could persuade me to withdraw my candidacy. The short version of it is I offered to withdraw my candidacy if both of the candidates withdrew their names from co-sponsorship of proposed legislation that would in effect make it illegal in NJ to effectively challenge in support of Palestine advocacy and opposition to US – Israel actions against the Palestinian people. This previous article and video shows and tells what transpired.

On Wednesday March 19 around 10:15 am I was visited by an officer of the Montgomery Township police department. The following is a letter that I sent to about 300 news outlets about the visit:

LETTER TO MEDIA ABOUT ASSEMBLY MEMBER FREIMAN CALLING THE COPS ON THIS EDITOR:

The following details my encounter with two NJ Assembly members representing NJ LD 16.  I visited their publicly advertised petition signing event and I challenged their campaign with my own candidacy based upon their support of fascist IHRA law that criminalizes Palestine advocacy as “anti-Semitic.”  

https://fightbackbetter.com/nj-ld16-challenged/

This morning I was visited by a Montgomery Police Officer who was there to investigate an allegation – he mentioned by Roy Freiman – of “bribery”.  I asked the officer if he was there to detain me – he said no and so I informed him I am not interested in a conversation but also that Roy Freiman is a “smear artist.”  

I would suggest that if he called the cops on me with a smearing and false allegation of bribery it is consistent with his support for IHRA legislation that smears and brings legal harm to pro-Palestine advocates, coincidentally, like me.

This is just a head start of NJ IHRA in motion – like Trump who wants to arrest CNN and NBC for disagreeing with his latest insights – NJ politicians want to send the cops after any opponent – be it a candidate challenger or advocates against genocide.

RESPONSES

I have received VERY SIGNIFICANT OFFERS to assist with petitioning, strategizing and mobilizing the free speech vote throughout LD 16.

I have been informed by a few who have contacted Freiman to express outrage including a written one that will be published shortly.

Only one media outlet has reported so far, Matt Friedman’s NJ Playbook. A discussion of his article will be shortcoming or coming shortly depending if your name is Matt or Bob probably.

Having been caught low key SWATting his political opponent, Asm. Freiman used the Politico piece to claim that he did not really think I should be arrested and he just wanted it on the record in case anyone ever accused HIM of bribery over my attempt to communicate my position clearly at a public meet and greet event..

At least one other media outlet has expressed interest.

My Republican opponents have condemned – rightfully – Freiman’s “weaponization of police” for his own gain. We published their press release with comments – some appreciative and others oppositional.

MY INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE POLICE BEING CALLED ON MY CANDIDACY

In the video in my original report of the incident with the LD 16 Assembly members, I am calling attention to the Keffiyeh I am wearing and the Palestinian flag I am using as a second scarf tucked into my sweat shirt. Protesting the IHRA law that Drulis and Freiman are backing, I explain to them that I have a right to wear a keffiyeh, carry a Palestinian flag and that it is NOT anti Semitic to be pro-Palestinian. I explain that their law would create an environment where people would be arrested for simple expressions of pro-Palestine sentiment. Interestingly – showing her ignorance of the law she is supporting, Mitchelle Drulis stated – and you can see in the video at 2:25 :

“No one is arresting you. No one is calling the police. You have every right to say . . . (could not make out). ” Asw Drulis on March 17, the day before her running partner Roy Freiman actually DID call the police.

There is a comedic element to this whole sequence of events. My suggestion is next time this happens the candidates should lighten up – hear the person out. Offer a meeting and say where they stand but they are in definite need of the full picture so please provide the information. That is the usual party line.

As I stated clearly at that Baguette “I’m trying to help them.” Even if they disagree with what I stated to them – I communicated clearly to them a problem they have among the electorate right now. They should welcome the information and figure out what to do. Fulop has a pro-Israel yet non supportive of IHRA view. They can figure out better priorities that better serve their entire constituency to unite people and not divide us. They can realize how the Trump – Elon – Spadea gang that they supposedly oppose will take advantage of their naive support for IHRA.

This messaging from this encounter should be heard by the entire Assembly and the other Assembly candidates across the state of NJ – our message is the same and candidates are working with us in multiple LD’s so far with more being vetted and launched.

There was drama: the local organizational hench men and women that physically impeded my progress into a restaurant that was open for business at the time, to protect their candidates from meeting the people they invited to the shop to meet. I was calm throughout the whole sequence – and stayed focus on communicating very clearly to each candidate with a recording for the record. They are aware clearly that there is an effort to mobilize a vote of free speech supporters who will not vote for supporters of fascist IHRA which promotes viewpoint motivated Islamophobia. We honestly and openly communicated our intentions.

The historic joint launching of our 3 campaigns from Paris Baguette is on the public record!

The overreaction of the campaign to physically retreat from me and to try to physically block me with the big guys and gals . . . shows an organization that does not really even know how to meet the people – to walk among the people. The lack of transparency of trying to repress me from recording at their public event is a goon squad tactic. If it were a private meeting in a private setting – which organizations are allowed to have it is a different story but they invited the public into a public establishment but tried to impose illegal restrictions on my recording. The result I believe – the video I recorded is not flattering to my two opponents. I stand behind it and with it and am proud of it and have received tremendous support – for me tremendous – often being a lone warrior – from it.

There are many issues that we will be taking a closer look at: Silence of my opponents about Trump naming of Princeton University on his anti free speech university hit list. Drulis support for “Right to Read” in contradiction of her support for IHRA that will lead to banning of books – and that could lead to closing of libraries if they refuse to remove the named books – my other opponents echoing the hatred of an administration that calls us parasites, states empathy is a weakness, as it cuts off our life support, its lead gubernatorial candidate calls for ICE invasion of Paterson promoting Islamophobia that is clearly a centerpiece of the administration – how can they expect a cohesive community to support their divisive policies?

NJ LD16 Latte Fest Put to the Test: #FreeSpeechUnity Challenge of Drulis / Freiman on Fascist IHRA