新罕布什尔州康科德市-新罕布什尔州共和党州长周三表示，由于公共安全方面的考虑，他下个月将取消其户外就职典礼。自从他发出口罩命令以来，武装抗议者在他的家中聚集了几周。
“我的首要责任是确保家人和公民的安全”，州长克里斯·苏努努（Chris Sununu）在新闻稿中说。“数周以来，武装抗议者变得越来越具有侵略性，他们针对我的家人，在我的私人住宅外抗议并侵入我的财产—户外公开仪式只会带来太多风险。我们不会轻易做出这个决定，但这是正确的选择。”
在与总检察长戈登·麦克唐纳（Gordon MacDonald）协商后，苏努努说，他和参议院主席查克·莫尔斯（Chuck Morse），代理众议院议长谢尔德·帕卡德（Sherm Packard）和执行委员会将在1月7日的小仪式上宣誓就职。立法机关，几乎所有其他成员都将出席。Sununu将在当天晚上7点发表就职演说。
抗议者于11月22日开始根据他的命令开始在Sununu的Newfields住所外集会，该命令已于两天前生效，当由于冠状病毒大流行而无法进行社交疏散时，要求在公共场所，室内或室外佩戴口罩。周一，当地警察根据纽菲尔德选区委员会通过的一项新的反盗版条例，向九人发出了传票，并逮捕了其中一名。苏努努的兄弟坐在那儿。
康科德市38岁的斯凯拉尔·贝内特（Skylar Bennett）周三表示，他将以在住宅外举行的烛光守夜活动中的犯罪侵入和不法行为指控被捕。
贝内特说：“在纽菲尔德斯，这项法令特别是为了使苏努努国王受益。”他补充说，由于苏努努“关闭了该州”，人们一直在聚集抗议。
当Sununu发布口罩命令时，他说当时是适当的任务，鉴于阳性检测结果的百分比不断增加，在过去的两周中，接受COVID-19住院治疗的人数翻了一番，新的爆发在五个疗养院，没有出现症状的人的社区传播“惊人的惊人”率。该订单将于1月15日到期。
第一次抗议时，至少有100人出现在Sununu的房屋外。绝对反抗组织的弗兰克·斯台普斯（Frank Staples）说，抗议者之所以选择该地点，是因为苏努努关闭了包括州议会大厦在内的所有设施，“所以现在，这就是州议会大厦。”
自那时以来，发生了更多的抗议活动。这导致由三名成员的纽菲尔德选拔赛委员会于12月22日通过了该法令。
Sununu的发言人本杰明·维斯塔特（Benjamin Vihstadt）在一份声明中说，州长在周一的聚会期间并不在家，他没有参与该法令或其执行。
该法令说：“任何人在纽菲尔德斯镇的任何人的住所或住宅之前或附近进行纠察活动都是违法的。” 违反者将处以100美元的罚款。
根据12月8日董事会会议记录，纽菲尔德警察局长内森·利贝诺（Nathan Liebenow）表示，11月22日的抗议被描述为“非常热闹和令人不安”，并引起了居民的许多投诉。
从那以后至少再有三场聚会，Liebenow说，计划在一月份举行更多活动。他说，该法令的目的不是压制或侵犯任何人的宪法规定的言论自由权。
州警察局首席法律顾问助理司法部长马修·布罗德黑德（Matthew Broadhead）说，该法令的语言类似于美国最高法院所确认的语言。根据会议记录，他还描述了“州长，他的家人和附近居民遭受的口头骚扰”。
纽菲尔德斯警察局在星期三的新闻发布中说，这九人被告知该镇的居民纠察条例，并指示他们停下来，但没有这样做，所以给了他们传票。
警方除了提供贝内特的名字外没有提供其他姓名，但是《新罕布什尔州日报》说，尽管他反复地将自己确定为报道该事件的记者，但其中一名记者克里斯·梅德门（Chris Maidment）得到了传票。《华尔街日报》表示，它将对传票和罚款进行辩论。
CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire's Republican governor said Wednesday that he is canceling his outdoor inauguration ceremony next month because of public safety concerns — namely, armed protesters who have been gathering outside his home in the weeks since he issued a mask order.
“My first responsibility is ensuring the safety of my family and our citizens” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a news release. “For weeks, armed protesters have increasingly become more aggressive, targeting my family, protesting outside my private residence, and trespassing on my property — an outdoor public ceremony simply brings too much risk. We do not make this decision lightly but it is the right thing to do.”
In consultation with Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, Sununu said, he and Senate President Chuck Morse, acting House Speaker Sherm Packard and the Executive Council will be sworn in during a small ceremony Jan. 7. It will be attended by leaders of both houses of the Legislature and will be virtually attended by all other members. Sununu will deliver his inaugural address at 7 p.m. that day.
Protesters started gathering outside Sununu's home in Newfields on Nov. 22 over his order, which had taken effect two days earlier, requiring masks to be worn in public spaces, indoors or outside, when social distancing isn't possible because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, local police issued summonses to nine people and arrested one of them under a new anti-picketing ordinance passed by the Newfields selectboard, on which Sununu's brother sits.
Skylar Bennett, 38, of Concord, said Wednesday he will contest his arrest on charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct at a candlelight vigil held outside the home.
“It's clear this ordinance in Newfields was specifically to benefit King Sununu," Bennett said. He added that people have been gathering to protest because Sununu “closed the state."
When Sununu issued the mask order, he said at the time a mandate was appropriate, given the rising percentage of positive test results, the fact that the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 had doubled in the past two weeks, there were new outbreaks at five nursing homes, and an “incredibly alarming rate” of community transmission by people who aren’t showing symptoms. The order expires Jan. 15.
At least 100 people appeared outside Sununu's home at the first protest. Frank Staples of the group Absolute Defiance said protesters chose the site because Sununu had shut everything down, including the Statehouse, “so right now, this is the Statehouse."
There have been more protests since then. That led to the Dec. 22 passage of the ordinance by the three-member Newfields selectboard.
The governor, who was not at home during Monday's gathering, had no involvement in the ordinance or in its enforcement, Sununu's spokesperson, Benjamin Vihstadt, said in a statement.
The ordinance says “It is unlawful for any person to engage in picketing before or about the residence or dwelling of any individual in the town of Newfields.” Violators are subject to a $100 fine.
According to the minutes of the Dec. 8 board meeting, Newfields Police Chief Nathan Liebenow said the Nov. 22 protest was described as “very boisterous and disturbing" and generated a number of complaints from residents.
There had been at least three more gatherings since then, and Liebenow said more events were planned into January. He said the intention of the ordinance is not to suppress or violate anyone’s constitutional right to free speech.
The language of the ordinance is similar to one affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Broadhead, chief legal counsel for the state police. He also described “the verbal harassment endured by the governor, his family and nearby residents," according to the minutes.
The Newfields Police Department, in its news release Wednesday, said the nine people were advised of the town's residential picketing ordinance and instructed to stop but didn't, so they were given summonses.
Police did not provide names other than Bennett's, but the NH Journal said one of its reporters, Chris Maidment, was given a summons, even though he repeatedly identified himself as a reporter covering the event. The Journal said it will contest the summons and fine.
