Caught on camera: Greensburg protester allegedly assaulted outside courthouse
By Ed DiOrio
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GREENSBURG, Pa. (WTAE) — A Greensburg protester said they were allegedly shoved and robbed in downtown while protesting on the corner of a busy road Tuesday, capturing video of a man who they say cut across traffic and parked on the sidewalk.
“It’s an assault on all of our rights,” Greg Powers, who protests along Main Street every day, said to Action News 4 on Wednesday. “Someone decided that they were going to break a lot of laws in an attempt to stifle freedom of speech.”
Powers has stood on the corner of Otterman and Main Street outside of the Westmoreland County Courthouse for 291 straight days.
“It’s not about me,” Powers said. “It’s about freedom and justice for all. It’s really super important that we all do whatever we can right now to stand up for our democracy. It takes all of our action. I’m a nonviolent person. I’m here peacefully. I usually am here silently. ”
It was on day 290 when Powers was caught off guard by a car cutting across both lanes of Main Street.
“I was taken by surprise,” Powers said. “In the end, I was here peacefully. He doesn’t understand freedom of speech. He believes people he disagrees with shouldn’t be able to exercise their rights.”
Officials said Justin Bowser now faces criminal charges in relation to the incident.
According to a criminal complaint, officials said Bowser’s vehicle was parked on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, facing in the opposite direction of traffic. His vehicle’s license plate was also said to have been bent upwards, causing it to be unreadable.
The complaint said camera footage from the scene showed Bowser confronting Powers, stepping out of his vehicle, and forcibly taking their upside-down American Flag.
Powers then started recording the man believed to be Bowser as he was driving away.
The incident comes before a scheduled “No Kings” protest at the courthouse on March 28th. The last time one of those was organized, another protester was injured in a fight.
“We had a woman, a 70-year-old woman, who was assaulted,” Abby Graham-Pardus, an organizer of the protest, said. “People should do what they’re comfortable with. I would never begrudge somebody who had concerns about their own safety.”
However, organizers believe what happened on Tuesday won’t stop thousands from exercising their freedom of speech.
“They have a fire lit underneath them,” Powers said. “They recognize we can’t let people like this win.”
“We’re not going to be backing down on this,” Graham-Pardus added. “We’re going to continue protesting peacefully in the community. I don’t think where this violence is coming from is the Republican party or even MAGA. It’s a small group of people who are extreme. I would encourage people to exercise their First Amendment rights because as soon as we disappear, that’s what they want.”
As for Powers, they’ll continue to be on the corner of Main Street as they have for almost 300 days.
“I love the person who did this,” the protester said. “I love people who disagree with me. We all need to love one another. There’s way too much hate in the world. We all have to stand together for what’s right.”
Bowser faces charges of robbery, harassment, and careless driving, among others. City of Greensburg police are aware of the March 28 “No Kings” Protest.
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