ROME, Ga. — Four people were arrested in Rome, Georgia earlier this month for illegally protesting a pride event.

On Wednesday, June 14, a pride parade organized by the Rome Pride organization was held on Broad Street and concluded in Heritage Park.

During the parade, a protest assembly was permitted to lawfully gather between 9:30 a.m. and noon along the parade route.

There were no issues with the legally-permitted protest group but after the parade concluded at Heritage Park, police learned there were two other illegal gatherings on 2nd Avenue directly across from the park.

Officers approached the first of those two protest groups and informed the participants that they were involved in an illegal gathering.

They were given five minutes to disperse and though police said they were not happy with the situation, they voluntarily complied.

Officers spoke with the second group and gave them a five-minute limit to break up their protest and move along. Authorities recognized a few of the protesters from that group. Officers said they were present at a meeting with the Rome Police Department, where they complained about Rome Pride being allowed to lawfully assemble in the area.

During that meeting, the city ordinance was explained to them and they were advised to file for a permit if they wanted to legally assemble a protest.

The people at that meeting felt that a permit went against their first amendment rights and made it clear they were not going to file for a permit.

Ultimately, on June 14, the members of that second group did disperse at the end of their five-minute time limit. However, they chose to then move down the street where they walked as a group and held up protest signs.

Officers once again warned the group members to disperse and move on.

They were given another five-minute time limit but refused to leave.

Angela Antonella Rubino, Bradley Steven Barnes, William David Smith, and Melissa Renee Smith, who, according to an incident report, were representing the Etowah Republican Assembly by their clothing, were arrested and charged with violation of assembly permit.

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