Man Slept On Garage Roof For 6 Days To Protest A Regulation

Aug 10, 2023 by apost team

Protest, also called demonstration, is the public's expression of disapproval toward an idea or action, usually political. They can be considered acts of agreement in which a group of people cooperate by attending and sharing the potential costs and risks of doing so.

Humans have always needed to protest, and for that reason, protests date back to the 13th century, when a number of barons (descendants of the 1066 Norman invaders) declined to be subjects of a powerful monarchy. This was followed by the peasant revolt, which happened in the 14th century and saw hundreds of people protest the European class system. Over the years and worldwide, people have made it a tradition to make their voices heard using the powerful tool of protests.

Protests come in different forms, including rallies, marches, civil disobedience, pickets, vigils, boycotts, and riots, among many others. Whatever form a protest takes depends on the willingness of individuals to participate and the influence of protest leaders on the willing protesters. The ideals of the group leading the protest may also play a role in influencing the form of protest to be carried out. 

Protests could range from individual statements to mass demonstrations by numerous people. Regardless of the number of people involved, the goal is to get their voices heard against an unfavorable policy.

In one such case, on Aug. 2, 2023, a resident of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Rick Loughery, embarked on a one-man protest to challenge a regulation imposed by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Continue reading to get the details of this story.

Rick, aggrieved by FEMA’s 50% regulation, mounted the roof of his garage in protest. Rick and his wife, Amy, lived with their son on the island during Hurricane Ian. After the damage done to their house, the couple is trying to rebuild their lives, but the regulation by FEMA barring them from keeping their garage, which they built to code in 2019, is a stumbling block in their path.

“I’m up here because the town of Fort Myers Beach and the state have decided that they want me to demolish my garage,” he told Wink News.

FEMA’s 50% regulation states that the garage is a lateral structure attached to the house. But the couple insists that it is a separate structure with a soft flash attachment as the only connection between both structures.

“The FEMA standards are so strict that it makes it difficult for the town to have the flexibility to do what they’d like to do, which is to help them save their garage,” Jim Atterholt, Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor, told Wink News.

Amy gave more context to their dilemma, claiming that the garage saved her husband’s life during the hurricane.

“We were here for the storm. We have waves that were hitting the house that were 20 feet high,” she said. “The garage is the only thing that saved my husband, our son and I. (We) actually retreated to the neighbor’s house because it’s slightly elevated, and so we were over there at the beginning of the storm, but he stayed, and the only reason he’s still here is because of this garage,” she said.

Rick remained on the roof of his garage in protest for six days before he eventually made a descent on Aug. 8, 2023, after no word was heard from FEMA. 

apost.com

What do you think of Rick Loughery protesting against the FEMA policy? What do you think of his approach? Would you do the same if you were in the same position? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family members.