Eat your heart out, North Korea.
An Arizona mom was arrested for violating a bizarre authoritarian-style city law that forbids anyone from criticizing city officials at public meetings — outraging a free speech group that now plans to sue, officials told The Post.
Rebekah Massie, 32, was speaking out against a proposed $12,000 raise for Surprise City Attorney Robert Wingo — who reportedly already earns $266,000 annually — at a city council meeting on Aug. 20, when she was cut off by Mayor Skip Hall.
Hall accused Massie of violating a city rule that bars people from using their time at the podium to “lodge charges or complaints against any employee of the city or members of the body,” according to azcentral.com
“That’s all fine and good, but that’s a violation of my First Amendment rights,” Massie shot back.
“So that’s, well, this is your warning, OK?” Hall replied, adding the rebuke was “for attacking the city attorney personally.”
“This is all factual information,” said Massie — who had been speaking about Wingo’s alleged failure to take action on an issue involving campaign signs.
After more back and forth, Hall ordered the city’s police chief to haul her away.
“Chief, could you have somebody come down here and escort Ms. Massie out of this chamber,” Hall said.
“In front of my 10-year-old daughter, you’re going to escort me out for expressing my First Amendment rights?” Massie said, according to the local radio station KJZZ.
Massie was charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and obstructing government operations.
The free speech group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression later caught wind of the arrest and said it plans to sue the city of Surprise over the incident.
“The First Amendment protects every American’s right to criticize public officials,” FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick told The Post.
“And the last thing people should fear when they go to a city council meeting to make their voice heard is leaving in handcuffs. FIRE looks forward to vindicating Rebekah’s constitutional rights in court.”
Massie said Friday she hoped to teach the city “a lesson.”
“As an American, it’s my right to speak out to keep the local government accountable. And as a mom, it’s my obligation to set a good example and stand up for our fundamental rights — like the right of free speech — when they’re threatened,” she said in a statement.
“That’s the lesson I wanted to show my daughter. And now, it’s the lesson I am determined to show the City of Surprise, Arizona.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how Massie could be arrested for trespassing at a meeting that was open to the public.
Surprise Police Chief Benny Pina and Mayor Skip Hall didn’t return calls from The Post Friday.
Sgt. Richard Hernandez, a public information officer for the city, told The Post a person may be charged with trespassing if they are asked by a “police officer or the owner of a property” to leave and refuse.
He said the police chief had not asked Massie to leave the meeting — but declined to elaborate on how the law applies to the incident, considering Mayor Hall doesn’t own Surprise City Hall, where the meeting took place.
