A person carrying a rifle and distributing flyers calling the city council the “people’s enemies” Tuesday violated no laws, according to the Bloomington Police Department.
BPD Captain Ryan Pedigo said in an email BPD received several calls around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday about the individual walking with what was believed to be a rifle near Seventh and Walnut Streets. The person eventually walked to City Hall, located on North Morton Street.
Officers stayed in the area monitoring the person, Pedigo wrote, but did not witness any crime. In Indiana, it is legal to openly carry a handgun, shotgun or rifle without a permit in public.
According to former B-Square Bulletin journalist Dave Askins, who was on the scene and sent photos to the Indiana Daily Student, the person handed out political flyers calling the Bloomington City Council the “people’s enemies” with a red X through a photo of its members.
A QR code on the flyer goes to a website for the “Rainbow Panther Party,” described on the site as “a Communist Party pursuing a socialist revolution” in the United States.
“All lost fingers, limbs, and lives in winter is on city council’s hands!” the flyer read.
In response to whether BPD plans to increase patrols near City Hall or has been in contact with City Council members, Pedigo wrote BPD does not provide information on operations or operational readiness.
The City Council was not in session on Tuesday, but the Board of Public Works was meeting at 5:30 p.m. inside City Hall. The Monroe County Council meeting at the Monroe County Courthouse took a recess in response to the incident. Council President Jennifer Crossley at the end of the meeting thanked a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy for paying attention to the situation.
