CHEYENNE — Since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Joe Ramirez, a local resident, has organized protests in front of the Wyoming State Capitol.
The protests have ranged from a few dozen to a few hundred people, with the same message: in order to protect democracy, the public must protest the current administration, which they claim is harming America and Wyoming.
On Saturday, for the first time in months of protesting, a Cheyenne Police Department officer approached the group, claiming the music was too loud.
“He said I didn’t have a noise permit,” Ramirez explained. “And I said, ‘I’ve never needed one and I’ve been here since February 5.”
Ramirez stated that he has been in contact with the city about every protest since February and has never been instructed to obtain a permit.
These protests typically include a megaphone and a speaker system.
Video footage of the incident posted to Facebook shows protesters arguing with the officer about the citation, claiming that they had been using the speaker system for months with no problems.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation quickly escalated. Ramirez claimed he told the officer to give him a ticket. Ramirez stated that when he turned away, the officer grabbed him.
Facebook videos did not show Ramirez being grabbed.
“He grabbed my arm and my neck and actually tried to force me down,” Ramirez told me. “I didn’t go, because I just knew something else might happen that was worse than what he was doing.”
CPD Public Information Officer Alex Farkas confirmed the incident and stated that the group was given a warning.
“Sgt. Trimble initially attempted to provide a warning and requested that the individuals voluntarily lower their sound system volume, but they refused,” Farkas recalled. “Mr. Ramirez responded by stating, ‘Well, cite me.'”
Ramirez received a citation under ordinance 8.56.070, “No person shall operate upon any street, alley or public property of the city any loudspeakers, sound cars or sound trucks without first obtaining written permission from the police chief and a permit in accordance with Section 8.56.060.”
Though CPD stated that a warning was issued, Ramirez and two other witnesses to the incident claim there was no warning and were initially unsure whether the officer was present to issue a citation.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle spoke with Ramirez, two witnesses, including Madison Shamley, and CPD to confirm the incident.
“He approached Joe, and didn’t really give any indication that he was there to respond to a complaint,” Shamley told me. “He approached Joe and said, ‘You’re not allowed to use that,’ to which Joe responded, completely neutral, ‘Well, I have permission to use it.’ “And apparently (the officer) did not like that.”
Shamley was preparing to speak when the incident occurred, about 10 feet from Ramirez and the officer, she estimated.
The group allows any protester in attendance to express their political views, and while frustrations are frequently expressed, Shamley stated that the speeches are never violent or threatening.
Both Ramirez and Shamley stated that they believed the protest was targeted because it took place during the final weekend of Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Ramirez noticed that he could hear music from the depot over his speaker, leading him to believe that the complaint was in retaliation for the protest rather than the noise.
Shamley considered the incident a wake-up call. She has attended several protests in town, including union rallies at Starbucks, and has generally had positive interactions with police.
“Seeing that at a peaceful protest was just like, ‘OK, it’s here in our backyard, it’s also happening in Cheyenne, Wyoming,'” Shamley told me.
Part of what shocked Shamley was Ramirez’s use of force, given that he is 73 years old and a veteran.
Although protesters described the force used as aggressive and unnecessary, Farkas cited the CPD’s use of force policy.
The policy allows officers to use force when it is objectively reasonable. Officers determine the appropriate amount of force and equipment to use based on the situation at hand.
The level of force used may increase or decrease depending on the circumstances.
Farkas stated in an email correspondence that any force used in addition to standard handcuffing is reviewed and evaluated by multiple levels of leadership.
In this case, Sgt. Trimble’s use of force resulted in a bruise on Ramirez’s arm, which Ramirez stated he will most likely file a complaint about.
Despite the incident, Ramirez stated that the protests will continue. The next protest, titled “Rage Against the Regime,” is scheduled for Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m., and this time the protesters will have a noise permit.
“This time, we’ll probably be even louder because of my noise permit,” Ramirez disclosed. “I just want people to be brave enough to say something is going wrong in our country and Wyoming, and we need to stand up.”
