The planned mass gathering on behalf of YouTuber Beau “Flex Your Freedoms” Bish (Flex) drew roughly 13 out of the expected 35 people to the Black Hawk County Jail in Waterloo, Iowa, on Monday as heavy rains may have hindered turnout.
The group was led by YouTuber Butt Crack News Network (BCNN), who started the live stream by oinking as he investigated all of the police cars in the Black Hawk County jail parking lot for open police laptops.
BCNN then announced that it was almost time for a phone call from Flex, who had scheduled time to address the gathering via the prisoner phone system. The group made their way across the parking lot from the Waterloo Police Department to the Black Hawk County Jail but were prevented from entering the lobby of the building as the doors were locked.
The group explained to a sheriff at the door that they intended to use the in person visiting area for the group call with Flex. The sheriff, upon being told that they were there to protest, would only allow one protester in the building at a time in order to file records requests.
The sheriff later reminded the group that Flex had scheduled a voice call and not an in-person call and that the group would not be able to enter the building to use the in-person visitation booths as they were not set up to be used for group calls. The rules of the jail also only allowed for one person to use a booth at a time.
After a tense verbal standoff with the sheriff, the group was asked to leave the building as it closed at 4:30PM local time. The group left the building only to receive a call from Flex as they departed.
The imprisoned YouTuber revealed to the crowd that he had been given his anti-anxiety medicine by the jail after a five-day delay and that his commissary access had apparently started. Those issues solved the reported purpose of the gathering and appeared to take some of the urgency away from the gathering.
The group still managed to again cross the parking lot back to the Waterloo Police Department building, where they intended to take part in the scheduled Waterloo City Council meeting. Before that meting started, BCNN had an altercation with a man at a vending machine and claimed the man had threatened him.
BCNN followed the man to the City Council chambers and approached a police officer sitting in the crowd of people gathered for the meeting and demanded the officer take a complaint of the incident. The officer directed BCNN to the non-emergency line for the police department as he was unable to take BCNN’s complaint at this time.
The same response was given by the Waterloo police chief, who BCNN later accosted during the meeting. As an active participant in the meeting, the police chief again directed BCNN to the non-emergency line in order to make a police report.
As the city council meeting progressed, five members of the group including BCNN made public statements during the public feedback period. Most of the comments centered on City Council member John Childs, who served on Flex’s jury for the charges that ultimately resulted in his 10-day incarceration.
The group blasted Childs and called for the immediate release of Flex as they felt he committed a victimless crime and was not deserving of jail time. Upon finishing their comments, the group left the city council meeting and abled around the parking lot before dispersing.
Flex Your Freedoms is scheduled to be released on the morning of Thursday, April 4, 2024, and is expected to hold a live stream addressing his ordeal soon after his release.
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