Paul Gallegos: “I believe the continued presence of tents outside of the courthouse presents a profound public safety risk.”

◼ County emails outrage Occupy Eureka; D.A. says tents posed safety risk - Grant Scott-Goforth/The Times-Standard

Members of the movement used a California Public Records Act request to obtain emails they called “nefarious” that detailed Gallegos' suggestions to Eureka and county officials that tents be taken down from the courthouse lawn. The emails were part of the discussion that led to police action against the Occupy Eureka encampment on the Humboldt County Courthouse lawn.

In a Nov. 2 email to county officials, Gallegos wrote, “I believe the continued presence of tents outside of the courthouse presents a profound public safety risk.”

In the same email Gallegos wrote, “While I do not suspect that any of those tents contain any explosive or otherwise dangerous materials, I cannot confirm that they do or do not and I do not believe that we can allow the risk of such an occurrence to continue....”

In a Nov. 18 email to 3rd District Supervisor Mark Lovelace, Gallegos wrote, “Having tents outside our building pose an immense public safety risk. All you need is 1 McVeigh guy,” wrote Gallegos, referring to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

Gallegos said that enclosed structures like tents or trucks wouldn't last three minutes in front of a federal building, due to concern over events like the Oklahoma City bombing. He said city and county ordinances outlaw camping on public property, and that those laws don't affect protesters' right to gather and speak....

In a Nov. 18 email, Gallegos wrote, “Candidly I support the movement. Unfortunately here it has been somewhat co-opted locally by our local protesters.”

Ironic. Given that it is "our local protestors" that got him into office.