It's Official, Peaceful 1st Ammendent Rights are dead in the U.S.
Maybe the groups should've told the Judge they are a Musical Act and were going to sing Kumbiya.
8-23-2004 GOP Protesters Refused Use of Central Park
NEW YORK - A federal judge ruled Monday that two protest groups cannot use New York City's Central Park as a site for a demonstration days before the Republican National Convention.
"This court cannot blind itself to the daunting security concerns facing this city during the Republican National Convention," said U.S. District Court Judge William H. Pauley III.
Pauley said there were serious questions about whether Central Park's Great Lawn can safely accommodate the 75,000 people expected to attend a rally sponsored by the anti-war ANSWER coalition and the National Council of Arab Americans.
The two groups had asked Pauley to order the city to issue a permit, saying tens of thousands of people gather on the lawn for musical concerts each year.
8-23-2004 Protesters, police get set in NYC
Thousands of demonstrators are expected here for the Republican National Convention next week, leading to unprecedented security and sparking concerns that First Amendment free-speech rights could be suppressed in the name of safety.
In Boston, the largest gathering drew only a few thousand protesters. An anti-war demonstration in Manhattan on Sunday is expected to draw a quarter-million people. But where they can rally is still being contested in court.
Boston had 5,000 law enforcement officers in place during the Democratic convention. New York City will deploy 10,000 police officers, their efforts bolstered by an untold number of federal officials.
If protests become too big or if demonstrations take place without permits, "there's the possibility of large-scale arrests and even some police use of force."
"Unfortunately, the government has too often invoked national security as an excuse to restrict the right to protest," says Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Some activists say that they intend to go to Central Park with or without the city's permission.
Maybe the groups should've told the Judge they are a Musical Act and were going to sing Kumbiya.
8-23-2004 GOP Protesters Refused Use of Central Park
NEW YORK - A federal judge ruled Monday that two protest groups cannot use New York City's Central Park as a site for a demonstration days before the Republican National Convention.
"This court cannot blind itself to the daunting security concerns facing this city during the Republican National Convention," said U.S. District Court Judge William H. Pauley III.
Pauley said there were serious questions about whether Central Park's Great Lawn can safely accommodate the 75,000 people expected to attend a rally sponsored by the anti-war ANSWER coalition and the National Council of Arab Americans.
The two groups had asked Pauley to order the city to issue a permit, saying tens of thousands of people gather on the lawn for musical concerts each year.
8-23-2004 Protesters, police get set in NYC
Thousands of demonstrators are expected here for the Republican National Convention next week, leading to unprecedented security and sparking concerns that First Amendment free-speech rights could be suppressed in the name of safety.
In Boston, the largest gathering drew only a few thousand protesters. An anti-war demonstration in Manhattan on Sunday is expected to draw a quarter-million people. But where they can rally is still being contested in court.
Boston had 5,000 law enforcement officers in place during the Democratic convention. New York City will deploy 10,000 police officers, their efforts bolstered by an untold number of federal officials.
If protests become too big or if demonstrations take place without permits, "there's the possibility of large-scale arrests and even some police use of force."
"Unfortunately, the government has too often invoked national security as an excuse to restrict the right to protest," says Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Some activists say that they intend to go to Central Park with or without the city's permission.
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