Weare, NH- Police practices protested in front of the police station which closed during the protest.

More than 30 people gathered in front of the Weare police station Wednesday to protest the department, which has in the last 13 months arrested and charged three people with felony wiretapping for recording police activity.

Waving “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and signs reading “We Will Record,” protesters argued that the department overstepped its authority by bringing charges against people who recorded officers performing public duties.

The Weare police station, which was closed at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. A sign on the front door asked visitors to call the department’s business line, or 911 in case of an emergency.

The protesters outside the station said police did not want to be held responsible for their actions.

“The police don’t like accountability,” said David Bodhi of Manchester, a Free State Project transplant from Indiana. “When their actions start to be closely scrutinized by the citizenry, they change their behavior.”

Despite the repeated pleas by protesters, Police Chief Gregory Begin declined to open a dialogue with his critics Wednesday.

“I can’t comment on open cases, and I’m not going to debate on statutes that may be changing, and that’s all they want to do,” Begin said in an interview before the protest. “I’m just going to let them do whatthey came here for. They have the right to demonstrate, to protest.”


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