Arfin,
Town halls are meant to be a space where voters can engage with elected officials, ask questions, and hold leaders accountable. But in Idaho, one woman was brutally silenced — ripped from her seat, zip-tied, and mocked — just for speaking up.
At this particular town hall, the audience was interactive and rowdy. Attendees frequently called out their support or disagreement in response to the elected officials who were speaking at the front of the room. But those First Amendment free speech rights apparently did not extend to one woman, Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl. Instead, when she piped up, the consequences were severe.
Three unidentified men in plainclothes pulled her out of her seat and threw her onto the ground. Then zip-tied her wrists, before violently dragging her out of the room. She repeatedly demanded that the men identify themselves, but they ignored her.
The local Sheriff, Bob Norris, was in attendance. He simply looked at her and asked: "Do you want me to pepper spray you?" Meanwhile, the host of the town hall, Ed Bejarana, loudly mocked her, saying: "Just look at this. This little girl is afraid to leave. She spoke up and now she doesn't want to suffer the consequences."
Later, we learned that the three men were part of a private security team. They broke the law in a variety of ways, including by not visibly and clearly identifying themselves. It is also a crime to zip-tie someone, as this constitutes kidnapping, false arrest, or illegal detainment.
If we allow this kind of political intimidation to go unpunished, it sets a dangerous precedent that those in power can silence dissent by force.
We must demand justice. Sheriff Norris must be fired, and the men involved must be charged for their various crimes — including lack of identification and the assault and battery they committed against this woman. Sign the petition.
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