Kaitlin Bennett Cited for Disobeying Lawful Order at St. Augustine Protest

Incident Overview

• 💡 Kaitlin Bennett, a conservative internet personality, received a federal citation for disobeying a lawful order during a protest in St. Augustine.
• 🎯 The incident occurred outside the Castillo de San Marcos, where a group was protesting fascism with a permit.
• 🎥 Bennett, known for her Liberty Hangout YouTube channel, was filming and questioning protesters, not participating in the organized event.

Confrontation Details

• 👮 A National Park Service officer instructed Bennett and her camera operator to move to a designated “First Amendment area.”
• ⚠️ The officer explained the protest group had a permitted space, and Bennett was on federal land.
• 🗣️ Bennett argued she was on public property and acting as media, claiming her rights were being violated, and plans to fight the charge.

Legal and Journalistic Questions

• ⚖️ The federal ticket for failing to obey a lawful order carries a potential $500 fine.
• 🧠 Legal experts, like constitutional attorney Eric Friday, note the case raises questions about modern journalism and protest access.
• 🔑 In the digital age, anyone with a camera can claim to be media, requiring government agencies to apply content-neutral rules.

Hosts' Perspective and Analysis

• 💬 The hosts believe Bennett was being confrontational and intentionally sought a fight for attention, not genuinely reporting.
• 🚫 She encroached into a permitted area; had she remained on the public sidewalk, she likely would not have been asked to move.
• 📈 Her actions were seen as an attempt to gain clicks and fame, potentially backfiring by amplifying the protest's visibility.