harassed. Talk to the business. He's protecting his free board. Is she? Mhm. Yeah, they can't kick her out. As long as she's not blocking an entry or an exit. Oh, okay. They're protected under some article. Remember Adam sending an email a little while back that if it's a like a shopping plaza and it's not a single Yeah, it's my legal right to do that. No, they have a sign that's posted, okay? And it's not because it's private property. Oh, I see. Can I talk to your commanding officer? My commanding officer? Sergeant? This is Claire Smith, a woman gathering signatures for a ballot initiative outside a Safeway. It began when the store manager called the police to remove her for bothering customers and violating a no petitioning sign. The first officer on the scene immediately ordered her to leave, believing private property rights outweighed her activity. However, Claire didn't budge. She cited the Alderwood precedent and demanded a supervisor. What's going on? We're good. Did you see the gal out there? Uh I came in over here, but I didn't see anybody out over here. Oh, okay. I didn't come in over here, though, so No worries. Yeah, she was on this side when I called, so you just wanted her to leave her. Is she like trying to do petitioning or something? Yeah, she's approaching people with a big old signature boards. Um you know, anti-trans rights or whatever it is. It doesn't matter. I just My customers deserve an uninhibited shopping experience. They don't want to be bothered with that stuff. Okay. Um I have it posted. Uh initiative petitioning is not permitted at this store. It's posted very clearly right there. And this is private property. Okay. Yeah, she has a red, white, and blue knitted uh stocking cap. Okay. Green coat. Probably about 4 ft 8 or something. Kind of a little shorter. Okay. Maybe she left or maybe she wandered off somewhere else. I think she's still out there. She's on the sidewalk over there. Okay. Okay, but now she's What is she doing? I see. You need an ambulance? No, thank you. Hi. Thank you for this conversation. That's fine. I got a body camera on, just so you know everything's video and audio recorded. Okay. So, they're just asking you don't petition down there at Safeway, okay? That's all. Yeah, it's my legal right to do that. No, they have a sign that's posted, okay? And it's not because it's private property. Oh, I see. Can I talk to your commanding officer? My commanding officer? Sergeant? Okay. Thank you. But just so you know, if you go over there, I'm not trespassing you. I'm just saying you can't do initiative over there. They have a sign posted. They don't want that over there at their business. Do you understand? I want to talk to your commanding officer. Can I get an ETA to my location? What's your name, ma'am? Claire. Claire, what's your last name? Smith. Okay, what's your date of birth, Ms. Smith? I'm not giving it to you. Okay. I don't have to. Okay. That's fine. But usually it's common courtesy that if you just talk to the businesses, they'll You You do know that? So, like the petitioners that do like Walmart, they usually go in and ask the manager before they come out. Or we can just stand in awkward silence. That's fine, too. 125 Mack. I'm in front of Maurice's. I have a legal right to be here. Don't worry. Have you heard of the Alderwood case? Alderwood case? Yeah. No. No, I don't. Well, your sergeant has heard of it. Okay. What's the Alderwood case? I'll wait to talk to your sergeant. Okay. How long is it going to be? I have no idea. He's on another call. I have a legal right to be here. I have a legal right to be here. She didn't ask. That's okay. So, what? So, what? So, what? Ma'am, you're the one that's trying to be difficult. I'm going to leave until I see your sergeant. Well, he's on his way. But leave me alone. Okay. So. Oh. Manager over here at Ed said that she's bugging customers. He has a sign that says no petitioning on the premises. Yeah, posted at the door. As soon as I get here, she wants my commanding officer. Yeah. She's wanting to record, and then she says she has a legal right to be here. People walking by, she just tells I have a legal right to be here. Yeah. She's got an initiative, but I told her you can do it not over there. Just somewhere else, but usually you want to at least talk to the business. >> over there, though. He's protecting his free board. Is she? Mhm. Yeah, they can't kick her out. As long as she's not blocking an entry or an exit. Oh, okay. They're protected under some article. Remember Adam sending an email a little while back that if it's a like a shopping plaza and it's not a single business owning one property, they're protected. There's a free property ruling on it, so Okay. So, I can talk to Ed and let him know. All right. That's fine. Hello. Okay. Um you're on 212. Um are you the commanding officer? Are you the commanding officer? I'm commanding officer. I'm uh hold 30 seconds. The commanding officer is I'm Sergeant Valdez. Okay. Can you spell that for me? V A L D E Z. Sergeant Valdez. Uh can you talk to her please? Yes. I'm I'm out here at Safeway at the uh street mall. Yes, exactly. I don't need to talk to anyone else. I just think I heard everything, so I don't need to talk to anyone. Okay, that is good to know. That is good to know. Um I will uh talk to him and perhaps call you back in just a minute. Okay. >> [laughter] >> Okay. Sorry. Thank you. Okay. Bye-bye. Yes, yes. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that call. So, just so you know, my body camera's on. Yes, yes, I know. There's no need for all that. Well, please No, I think you're fine. I'm not looking to incite anything. I'm just looking to look at my rights. Right. And And so, let me let me just explain to you real quick. >> Okay. I think there's some confusion on everybody's part as far as where this can be done and where it can't be done. Okay. And so, like I was talking to my officer, and I'm going to talk to the manager of Safeway, too. Okay. He's right as as far as where you're protected. As long as you're not hindering your business by like blocking an entry or exit or anything like that, Okay. um you are you are allowed to do this. Okay. Especially in like a shopping plaza like this. Yes, it's perfect. >> different when it's like a singular business on its own property. Yes. It's on private property, but this is like a public plaza. I'm not going to name names, but I encountered that and was quite um tragic because that was like the place to go to in that little town. Sure. So, yes. >> Yeah, so like I said, I think it's new for a lot of people, and we're still kind of trying to learn where that where that lies and where it applies and where it doesn't apply. So, I'm going to talk to Safeway and let the manager know as well Thank you. as far as where that goes. And let me let me remind you that I'm well aware of how divisive Well, it shouldn't Well, okay. I I get what you're saying. How some people are doing it for the wrong reason. I I Well, people have People are Have you done with this? Um People are No, I haven't tried it yet. That's why I'm standing here. Do you have it? Oh, you want to sign. Can you sign? Yeah. I'm sorry. Thank you. Um the um people will have meltdowns. Yeah, sure. I There is nothing I can do. >> Sure. The only thing I can do is to not get hooked. It's cuz it's to keep boys out of girls sports. Title IX started for the girls in '72. >> Yeah. We want to keep it for the girls. Some people have meltdowns. Probably 60, 70% are signing. So, it's a pretty high percentage. I don't know about once I leave cuz I just got here. Okay. My intent is not to turn people's minds around cuz I'm not campaigning, but I believe strongly in this. It's just to find the yes people and have them sign. I don't want to hurt anybody's business. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yep. No, you're you're perfectly fine, like I said. I think that people I think have a misconception on exactly what they can and can't have people do. And I think they I guess the the understanding is that I can trespass on anybody I want to. Kind of true, but it depends on what it is, right? And then stuff like this, he has a sign up, so he's probably thinking I have this sign, no one should be here. But, there's more to it, right? And there there's more to that conversation, so I'll talk to him and educate him. And like I said, as long as you're not blocking people from running in the store or preventing them from leaving or hindering their business, then you're well within your rights to do what you can. So. Thank you very much. Um, and uh and uh David, one last thing. All right, thank you. Have a good day. >> You, too. Case details. Conflict. Store manager requested trespass for unauthorized petitioning on private property. Subject cited Alderwood Associates v. Washington State PDC. Initial officer attempted to remove [music] subject. Sergeant overruled the officer based on state constitutional protections for petitioners in shopping plazas. Resolution. Subject allowed to continue gathering signatures. Sergeant educated the store manager on the law.