The conservative activist group Americans for Prosperity
filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain a copy of videotape
shot by the Michigan State Police during the big anti-right-to-work rally at
the state Capitol on Dec. 11.
The MSP has finally responded and told AFP they can have
the video if they pay a FOIA fee of $19,602.
Scott Hagerstrom, Michigan director of AFP, said he was
told that the state police are charging $19,573 for personnel expenses to “search
for, retrieve, review and examine records and to separate exempt material, if
any.”
“On December 11,
2012, supporters of right-to-work legislation gathered under the protective
shadow of their Capitol building,” said Hagerstrom. “Instead of a safe haven
for civil public discourse, they were met with violence, threats of violence,
and destruction of personal property. We will not allow their speech to be
chilled. We will continue to endeavor to better understand what happened that
day. By understanding we can ensure that such blatant disregard for first
amendment rights will not be allowed to happen again.”
Hagerstrom is asking the MSP to waive the fee in deference to the
public’s right to know.
“While the public has been made aware that violence, property damage,
and destruction took place they do not have a complete understanding of the
events that transpired. The videotaped material in possession of the Michigan
State Police would significantly add to the public’s understanding of the
events of December 11, 2012.  Upon receipt of the requested records, AFP
intends to make the material available to the public and the news media to
provide a more complete understanding of the events of December 11, 2012.”