Landlord Stifles Bill of Rights

Citizens in the U.S. are supposed to be protected from the government interfering with peaceable assemblies. We’re also supposed to be able to petition our government for redress. But a crafty landlord can use property law to nullify those principles:

The Jefferson Area Tea Party has been officially banned from the area around Congressman Tom Perriello’s office. The landlord of the building where Perriello’s office is located, Lisa Murphy, has convince the local officials that recent protests outside the office is negatively affecting the other tenants in the building.

Originally the tea party was told that as long as they did not interfere with the flow of traffic in the parking lot and obstruct business, because the lot was open to the general public, they would be allowed to protest in the parking lot. However, Ms. Murphy who donated $1000 to Perreillo’s campaign and held a fund raiser for him, was not happy with this situation. She complained long enough and loud enough to the local officials so that as of this week protesters are banned from parking area around the congressman’s office.

Any Congresscritters who rents commercial office space can say, “I would love to hear your concerns, if only my landlord would let you in.”