A few days ago a group of libertarians in Washington DC decided to hold a flash mob at the Jefferson Memorial and gathered with their iPods to dance at midnight, for one uninteresting reason or other. They apparently weren't causing a disturbance, there was apparently only a few other people there, and they apparently weren't making much noise. The National Park Police swooped in and told them to disperse, but one of the daughty libertarians (Brooke Oberwetter) held her ground or asked one too many questions or something and was arrested on disorderly conduct charges.

Now, libertarians are trying to make a federal case out of it, and have even started a website (freethejefferson1.wordpress.com) with its own photo gallery (http://flickr.com/photos/25702093@N03), Facebook group, and even a "media contact". And, they're serious and not just playing this for yucks. And, per Radley Balko (who was ten minutes late for the event and missed the fracas) at reason.com/blog/show/126041.html:

The story has made headlines all over the world. There's also amateur video of the event taken by fellow flash-mobbers, as well as information on a legal defense fund, and links to and critiques of other press coverage.

I was unable to locate any of those "headlines" except at the WaPo, the local NBC affiliate, InformationWeek, American Spectator, and a few minor sites.

Perhaps if they want to be taken seriously they might consider something that, even if the police were in the wrong, people would actually feel some sympathy about rather than the current case. I don't think anyone except those in their milieu is going to really care about this either way.