Man Arrested At Franklin PRIDE For Criminal Trespass On Public Property Prompted By Event Organizers

It Appears That The Franklin Pride Organizer’s “All-Inclusive” Stance Does Not Apply To Christians Who Openly Express Their Faith And It Seems The Franklin Police Department Agrees With Them.

Image Credit: Tennessee Stands

The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –

Last month at Harlinsdale Park, a public park in Franklin Tennessee, local organizers hosted and carried out Franklin PRIDE, an event that was narrowly approved to take place by the City of Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman or BOMA.

At the BOMA meetings that precipitated the event, hundreds of Franklin residents attended the meetings to convey their opposition to Franklin Pride carrying out their festival on property owned by the city, essentially the taxpayers. 

Many who attended those meetings and asked that the permit for the event be denied, expressed their wishes that the organization utilize private property for their event, where they can host any kind of event they like.

One of the Alderman, Gabrielle Hanson who is a prominent real estate agent in the city and knows it’s areas and residents very well, offered to help the organization find a private venue to hold the event.

The organizers, however, would not be dissuaded and insisted that not only would the event be family friendly, but it would be welcoming and all-inclusive to the public, whomever wanted to come and enjoy the vendors and entertainment featured were invited. “No matter who you are”, they said.

However, it appears that the organizer’s “all-inclusive” stance does not apply to Christians who openly express their faith and it seems the Franklin Police Department agrees with them.

37-year-old Joseph Cocchini, who attended the event along with his daughter, was arrested after he had been allowed to enter. He had been walking around the festival chatting with vendors and even purchasing goods from some of them. He was wearing a t-shirt that said “Jesus changed my life. Ask Me How”. It was in full view when he was allowed to enter the festival, which is why Mr. Cochini was surprised because he had been warned by those who had attempted to enter with their Bibles, or spiritual tracks that they were turned away. 

They had advised him, according to his interview with Gary Humble of Tennessee Stands, that if he wanted to gain entrance to the festival which was in a public park, that he should turn his shirt inside out. But when he approached the check in area of the event, he was allowed to enter. 

As he made his way around the festival, he said he was very careful to abide by the rules that were posted at the entrance, which was not to disturb the peace, or create any scenes. When he was speaking with a woman at the booth for a Methodist church in the area, he was pulled away by Franklin Police and asked to leave.  

Mr. Cochini questioned the officers about why he was being asked to leave, when one of them offered an explanation, “The event coordinator has asked that you leave”, and “this private property and they have asked you to leave”. Mr. Cochini questioned the assertion, and the officer responded that because they rented the space, it made it private property. Further one of the officers continued that “I don’t know why she wants you removed; “I don’t have anything to do with it”.

Mr. Cochini explained that according to Mayor Ken Moore, the space is not private but public, and the public had the right to be there, especially when the organizers of the event were so insistent that all were welcome.    

Finally, with no satisfactory explanation for why he was being removed, the police then opted to arrest him for criminal trespass because he was unwilling to leave a public festival. 

The question remains as to whether the police should have arrested Mr. Cochini on the authority of one of the event organizers, since the city’s website describes any of the properties owned by the city as “public right of way” or properties where anyone has the right to pass through because the land is public, and not private. This is why a permit is required and must be approved. 

The issue would be does an exchange of money and a signed rental agreement give the organizers of the event the right to insist that a person in a Jesus T-shirt who wasn’t violating any rules of the event or breaking any laws, be evicted for no objectively verifiable offense? Further, does the rental agreement give the organizers private property rights, turning what was a peaceful festival goer into a criminal trespasser deserving of arrest and charges?   

Mr. Cochini is going to be subject to a criminal trial for which Tennessee Stands has pledged to cover his costs. If you would like to contribute to his defense, you can do that at this link. 

We will be covering this story as it develops.

About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member.  Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.