Lawlessness will not be condoned

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The Olympian • Published May 14, 2008

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Then violent protesters hijacked a May Day rally in downtown Olympia throwing rocks through bank windows. Six persons were arrested on felony charges.

Enough is enough

Law enforcement officials, led by Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball, have decided enough is enough. They issued a list of guiding principles late last week that describe how police and prosecutors will respond to future incidents.

In an accompanying statement Kimball said, "Violence begets violence and lawlessness begets lawlessness if left unchecked and unaddressed. As county sheriff, I am committed to working with our other area law enforcement partners to ensure that this most recent trend towards lawlessness and violence perpetrated by some is reversed. We should not be satisfied until we have ended this trend that is so dangerous to the fabric of our community.

"I call upon those leaders in our community who represent peaceful, nonviolent social justice movements to join with us in our effort to maintain an environment within our community that respects the rights of all and condemns all acts of violence, whether directed against person or property," Kimball said. "This should not be about ideology; rather it should be about how we treat each other and what kind of community we wish to be and to be seen as by others."

Law enforcement officials, through their joint statement, have made it clear that they support First Amendment rights of free speech. But activists are now on notice that lawlessness will not be condoned.

It's the right message at the right time.