NYC March - Authories Resisting Permits, Situation Unclear

Feb. 15 NYC Police forbid marching, UFPJ coalition goes to court Thurs. AM!
by mark c (dc-imc) 1:33am Thu Jan 30 '03 (Modified on 11:34pm Thu Jan 30 '03)


The NYC authorities are refusing march permits for Feb. 15. Under no circumstances, they say, will there be a march bigger than 10,000 people. Why? Because the police cannot contain it. The following are *excerpts* of notes from Co-chair Leslie Cagan of the United For Peace and Justice Coalition(admin. committee notes.)

a) The NYC Police Dept. informed our lawyers today that they will NOT issue a parade permit for the demonstration. On the call today we all agreed to challenge this decision in court. The New York Civil Liberties Union is representing us and the papers will be filed in the court tomorrow (Thursday).

The police said they would grant us permission to have a rally, but for safety and security reasons they will not give us the permit to march. Our lawyers believe we have a strong case, but certainly there is no guarantee on what the judge will eventually decide. [...]More details on the campaign will be forthcoming very soon. In the meantime it is full steam ahead with the organizing!

b) Below is a complete list of the people presently confirmed to participate in the rally on 2/15, followed by the other categories the program committee wants to include.

[...]

Confirmed Participants in 2/15 rally in NYC
this includes speakers, singers and poets and the list is not in any particular order

Bishop Desmond Tutu
Julian Bond, chair of the board of the NAACP
Colleen Kelly representing Sept. 11th Families for a Peaceful Tomorrow
Middle East and Iraq experts Phyllis Bennis, Anthony Arnove and Rania Massri
Mike Marqusee of the UK Stop the War Coalition based in London
an Israeli refusnik, one of the reservists refusing to serve in the occupied West Bank
Martin Luther King III
Vietnam Veteran Jaime Vasquez former Deputy Mayor
two of the poets from Def Poetry Jam
playwright Tony Kushner
Harry Belafonte
Danny Glover
Mos Def
Sarah Jones, performer
Patti Smith, singer
Betty, accopela group of three women
Richie Perez, NYC community activist
highest ranking labor leader possible
Brenda Stokley, NYCLAW (NYC labor leader)
Humberto Brown, Black Radical Congress (on reparations)
Rev. Al Sharpton
David Rovics (musician, singer)

[The next part of the email mentions unconfirmed speakers and other categories of speakers that the program commmittee wants to include.]

http://www.unitedforpeace.org

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Contact info
by mark c (dc-imc) 1:56am Thu Jan 30 '03



For more information contact (DC) Jason Kafoury (w) 202-387-8030, (c) 202-465-2764 (NYC) Leslie Cagan (w) 646 473 8934


I hope they include oppressed arab americans!
by !! 1:12pm Thu Jan 30 '03



!!
Not to mention SOMEONE who will criticize fucking israel.


Should march anyway
by Luke 4:31pm Thu Jan 30 '03



If the demo is larger than 20,000 people, teh NYPD will lack the military power to prevent a march short of firing live ammunition, which they will not likely do over this. Any attempt to prevent a march should be treated by the movement as a declaration of war on dissent.

If the NYPD is really that stupid, nothing would give Bu$h a bigger problem than "another Seattle" fought over the war. That possibility, in turn, should make them cave. During the Spring 2002 IMF protests, Ramsey did not want to give us the permits. The Wednesday before, I was on Fox news saying "we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way" and the MPD caved the next day. Obviously this needs to be repeated by someone well known in New York.


Luke = irrational egomaniac
by Jamal 6:11pm Thu Jan 30 '03



So, you made the MPD back down all by your lonesome? As I recall from CSPAN, you lefties have had your asses kicked every time you have come to DC and stirred something up. The NYPD has about 40,000 officers. If need be, I am sure that they will turn out in force to deal with violent leftist akkktivists. Another Seattle? Please, no police department will ever let you violent leftists get that out of hand again.


We're coming, like it or not
by MaxDProphet 6:27pm Thu Jan 30 '03



The ball's been rolling for some time now. Keeping people confined to a rally would take as much firepower as letting the march go.


Don't worry -- the march is a go!
by Nemo 11:34pm Thu Jan 30 '03



It is unthinkable that a permit will not be issued -- especially with the ACLU on the team!

I think it is a matter of the "authorities" wanting to create some pressure on the movement to get them to negotiate some guidelines for the march route and the behavior of the marches.

I suspect there will be a clear understanding as to what exactly will be permitted. Should the marchers fail to adhere to the terms of the permit, then sufficient force will be applied to disperse, contain and arrest however many marchers as may be necessary to maintain order.

Lethal force is the last resort, but snipers and helicopter gunships will be available to meet any contingency.

Should the marchers protest in a relatively non-violent manner, great tolerance will be shown; however, if the marchers engage in wanton destruction of property, or arson, or atacking bystanders or motorists, all necessary force will be authorized!

IMHO there is nothing to be gained by playing into the hands of those who dearly want to provoke a bloodbath in the middle of NYC for their own selfish purposes. Most protestors are quite sincere, but there are some Communist and al Quaeda operatives with a different agenda, and nothing would please them more than a huge riot/disaster in the heart of NYC.

Friends, keep your wits about you and be aware of what is happening around you. Don't permit yourselves to be swept into some sort of mob psychology that will eventuate in the injury -- or even death -- of yourselves or your friends. Please heed my words.