If you’re not a follower of the DC libertarian blogosphere, you may not be aware of the Jefferson 1.

…the Thomas Jefferson Dance Party looked to revive the dancing-as-freedom meme with a dedication to many free marketeers’ favorite founding father on the occasion of his 265th birthday.

The plan was simple enough: Freedom-loving individuals, invited by way Facebook, would gather in the Jefferson Memorial just before midnight, April 13, and spend ten minutes bopping, swaying and moonwalking to honor the author of the Declaration of Independence.

So as not to disturb any fellow memorial visitors, the group — which numbered about 20, fewer than the 25 that would require a permit — opted to wear headphones and listen to their own iPods. As it turned out, the half-dozen or so unrelated onlookers who happened to be on-hand (the park is open 24 hours) appeared mostly amused by the spectacle.

Security personnel most assuredly were not amused. Within two minutes of the event’s start, they began moving to disperse the crowd, ordering the dancers to leave immediately, forcibly laying their hands on some and hurling profanities at others.

A few party-goers attempted to explain the nature of the event, but memorial staff were in no mood to discuss political theory. At 11:59, just four minutes after the event’s start, U.S. Park Police had detained and were handcuffing the aforementioned “Jefferson 1″ — 28-year-old occasional Spectator contributor Brooke Oberwetter — ostensibly for unauthorized dancing.

Seriously, how do a bunch of people in iPods threaten the Park Police? If they do, then I hope none of them ever ride the Metro. They’d run out of handcuffs.

As someone who was with a bunch of other libertarian-ish people that night drinking in DC in celebration of a friend’s birthday, this was a bit of a downer to read on Sunday morning. I was quite sad to read today that the Jefferson 1 is a woman who I read for years in the blogosphere. I was honored to be on her blogroll, and I joined her in spirit fighting the DC smoking ban by slapping a sticker on the car I drove to work on Capitol Hill every day. If only I kept something alcohol themed on my car, I would have been the rolling ATFmobile.

Anyway, back to the story of the Jefferson 1. As you can see in the videos, she doesn’t appear to have been causing any kind of problems. Reports online have indicated that she just asked why in the moments when the camera wasn’t on her.

I don’t dance – not even to celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s birthday – but oh how I wish that I could have been there with my new snazzy camcorder. It would have been fun taking evidence for a potential lawsuit.

I think my favorite comment on the situation so far has been from Julian Sanchez:

I’m not entirely clear on what the charge could have been—I wasn’t aware dancing at a public monument was prohibited by any statute—but given that my friend’s immediate social circle is largely composed of journalists, bloggers, and constitutional lawyers who sue the government for fun, I predict hilarity.

Let me tell you, that’s one of the big perks being involved with pro-rights advocacy. you get to meet so many lawyers who are willing to challenge the government. In fact, such circles make me a little jealous. not that I want to be arrested, but check out the hottie reference:

A Facebook group dubbed “Free the Jefferson 1″ attracted more than 300 members in its first 24 hours, and Oberwetter’s case drew an offer of representation from Alan Gura, lead plaintiffs counsel in the District of Columbia v. Heller Second Amendment case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.

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