14.830 Unlawful Assemblies and Their Suppression – Penalty.

(1) Peace officers of the City of Manitowoc have a duty to suppress unlawful assemblies within the City of Manitowoc. For that reason any peace officer of the City of Manitowoc may order all persons who are part of an assembly to disperse. An unlawful assembly is an assembly which consists of three or more persons and which causes such a disturbance of public order that it is reasonable to believe that the assembly will cause injury to persons or damage to property unless it is immediately dispersed.

(2) An unlawful assembly includes an assembly of persons who assemble for the purpose of blocking or obstructing the lawful use by any other person or persons of any private or public thoroughfares, property or of any positions of access or exit to or from any private or public building, or dwelling place, or of any portion thereof and which assembly does in fact so block or obstruct the lawful use by any other person or persons of any such private or public thoroughfares, property or any position of access or exit to or from any private or public building or dwelling place, or any portion thereof.

(3) Whoever intentionally fails or refuses to withdraw from an unlawful assembly which he knows has been ordered to disperse shall forfeit not more than $500.00.

(4) Whoever causes or attempts to cause, or participates in, an unlawful assembly upon any property of a public institution of higher education or upon any highway abutting on such property is punishable under subsection (3) of this section, if that person fails to withdraw from the assembly promptly upon issuance of an order to disperse, if such order is given in such manner that such person can reasonably be expected to hear or read such order.

(5) It shall be deemed unlawful assembly whenever three or more persons who are patrons of a tavern or other establishment to which a Class B license has been issued gather outside of said establishment and either intentionally or unintentionally block the public thoroughfare when the said thoroughfare is the public sidewalk or the public street. Should any passerby be required to walk unto the public street or public highway around persons who have gathered outside of said establishment, then it shall be prima facie evidence that the persons who have gathered outside of said Class B establishment have obstructed the public thoroughfare. Any person convicted of so obstructing the public thoroughfare shall be punished pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.

[Prior code § 14.561]