Manistee, Michigan — A woman who mistakenly walked into a Manistee County Republican Party meeting says attendees were handed a flyer implying that motorists could legally use force—including driving through crowds—to clear protesters blocking roads. The document, labeled “Manistee GOP Internal Memo,” offered recommendations asserting that drivers were justified in using vehicles or weapons to escape road blockages and could detain or arrest protesters.
Janet Stancliff said she unintentionally attended the October 9 gathering at West Shore Community College after confusing it with a meeting of the League of Women Voters taking place next door. She told reporters she and her boyfriend were handed the flyer before realizing they were in the wrong room. Upon reviewing the document, she questioned whether it was “a joke,” noting that “it’s illegal to run someone over with your car.”
Manistee County GOP chair Duane Jones confirmed the flyer was presented but said it was not an official memo and was never adopted as party policy. When asked whether he agreed with the recommendations it contained, Jones replied only that the question was “not relevant.”
Michigan law currently treats blocking traffic during demonstrations as a civil infraction, reinforced in a 2024 summary issued by Attorney General Dana Nessel, which emphasized that protest activity is protected under the First Amendment. However, pending legislation—including House Bill 4664 and Senate Bill 500—would increase penalties for blocking roadways and, in some cases, shield drivers from civil liability if they injure protesters under certain circumstances.
Stancliff said the document concerned her given the charged political climate and upcoming demonstrations, adding that “people are pretty nutty right now.”
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