In the video posted with this story, Dantanio Parmer speaks with Donald Trump supporter Ian Erne, who is upset that voters are taking his Republican flyers and throwing them on the ground. Parmer listened with empathy as Erne vented. Parmer, a local resident who volunteers with Akron Public Schools, did not instigate the matter that led to Erne being asked by police to leave.
Akron police, on their third visit before 9 a.m., told a Donald Trump supporter to leave the parking lot outside a polling location where he and Democrats had been arguing repeatedly on Election Day.
Ian Erne, 45, of Russell Avenue, said he was the victim of voter intimidation. But police determined that he, not the Democrats he accused of ripping GOP fliers out of voters hands, was the problem.
In a red F-150 pickup truck with a Trump sticker on the back window, the self-described Marine veteran pulled into the parking lot at Helen Arnold Community Learning Center at 6 a.m. The elementary school, like many in the city, canceled classes today to host voting.
Erne, who said he lived in Detroit for 26 years and “saw what Democrats did to that city”, staked a four-foot yard sign in the grass beside his truck. It read “Get Your Slate Card Here” and carried the Republican Party logo.
Wearing a large “Vote Republican” button on his bright orange hooded sweatshirt, he then began passing out Republican fliers as voters arrived around 7 a.m.
A small gathering of Democrat supporters, also handing out literature, monitored his behavior. More soon arrived.
Erne called the police twice.
The first time, patrolman Marvin Murphy — who responded to all three calls Tuesday morning — said Erne and Democrats were too close to the polling location. He found them squabbling and advised both parties to stay behind the orange cones placed 100 feet from the doors at Helen Arnold. The second call came after Erne said a man, who would not identify himself to the Beacon Journal, stood nearby and took pictures as he distributed the fliers.
A reporter arrived around 8:30 a.m. to observe Erne handing a flier through the front window a car. Immediately, a young Democrat ran up to the car, informed the driver that Erne is a Trump supporter and exchanged the Republican flier with another carrying the names of local Democratic candidates.
“That’s voter intimidation, and you know it,” Erne yelled. “These people are misguiding people and trying to suppress thought.”
Some canvassers had amicable exchanges with Erne, who was upset that voters were taking his flyers and tossing them on the ground.
Dantanio Parmer, who volunteers at the school and lives around the corner, was there passing out Democratic literature. He said he doesn’t belong to a political party and decided to stick around after he voted.
Parmer traded flyers with Erne as the men agreed on free speech and the importance of being informed. When voters tossed Erne’s flyers on the ground, Parmer kindly gathered them and handed them back to Erne.
“I kept it neutral,” said Parmer, one of the few in the parking lot to have a rational conversation and not a confrontation with Erne.
But Erne, a white man and the only known Republican in a parking lot with more than a dozen minorities, became unnerved at times. He lashed out at the crowd that surrounded and stared at him.
“It takes 100 of you people to do what I’m doing,” Erne said. The crowd bristled at the “you people” comment, to which Erne said he was referring to their political affiliation as Democrats and not the color of their skin.
“You hear the racism coming out of this man’s mouth,” said Billy Soule, a community relations assistant in the Mayor’s office and leader of Akron Peacemakers. Soule said he was present to keep the peace and ensure that voters did not feel threatened as they entered the poling location in the predominantly black neighborhood.
Soule organized a group of local clergy who traversed the city to uphold civility at the polls.
“I like to see what’s going on,” said Rev. Gregory Harrison, who arrived wearing a powder blue T-shirt carrying the group’s message: “Pastors for Peaceful Elections”.
“If there’s an issue, I’m here,” said Harrison, who Erne accused of blocking the Republican yard sign. “Our job is to be peaceful and make sure that civility is the order of the day.”
“We should have the right to free speech and no one should stand in the way of voters,” said Soule.
“I totally agree with that,” said Erne, who was amicable with some Democrats and argumentative with others.
“That guy’s been making a big stink about, taking my picture all day,” Erne said, pointing to a white man, who told a reporter that he appreciates what journalists do but would not identify himself.
Patrolman Jeff Ludle joined two other Akron officers on the third visit to the polling location.
“We were told to keep an eye on the polling locations today,” Ludle said.
After he arrived on scene, this time after a witness called from inside the polling location, Ludle determined that Erne’s presence was causing too much of a disruption to the voting process.
“We don’t want any problems at any of the polling locations,” Ludle said. “We don’t mind if people are passing out literature. But if people are calling and complaining that you are causing a problem ... then you need to leave.”
Ludle and the other officers ordered Erne to move his campaigning to the sidewalk. Erne quickly complied, unearthing his yard sign and tossing it in the back of his truck before driving away.
Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @ABJDoug .