Protect the first amendent: Repeal the Parade Ordinance on Tuesday night!

Protect First Amendment Rights in Sacramento

(The Right to Speak Freely, the Right to Assemble Peacefully)

Come to the Sacramento City Council Meeting at 730 "I" Street
Tuesday, November 30.  7 p.m.

    Tuesday night the Sacramento City Council will consider 3 amendments to
the current "Parade Ordinance". Once again it is time to tell the returning
members and the new members that Sacramento does not and did not need the
addition of the "Parade and Demonstration Equipment Prohibited" section. They
have
changed it (see talking points below and visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org then
click on Parade and Park Use regulations) but they have not repealed it. If you
believe in our constitutional right to freedom of speech and assembly, then
come and tell the Council what you think, or bear witness to how they vote.
Remember that San Francisco has huge protests, but doesn't have a Parade and
Demonstration Equipment Prohibited Ordinance.
    If you cannot come on Tuesday evening, then call your member of the city
council or call the Mayor's office or the City Manager's office [See list of
contact numbers at the bottom of this message]. We suggest they repeal this
part of the ordinance. (see below).
    If you have any questions please call me at (916) 456-9435.
Thanks,
Heidi McLean
Sacramento Coalition for Sustainable Agriculture

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Talking points re amendments to the "Parade Ordinance" Agenda Item 13.2

The "Parade and Demonstration Equipment Prohibited" section of Sacramento's
Parade Ordinance did not exist prior to June 2003. The police were able to
enforce the law and maintain the peace without this section. Sacramento didn't
need it before, and it doesn't need it now.

The stated rationale for adding this section was in reference to preventing
the civil unrest and disturbances that occured in Seattle, L.A., Oakland,
Toronto and St. Louis. City staff have not shown how Sacramento's proposed
prohibition on equipment would have prevented civil unrest and disturbances at
events
in those cities, or will prevent them in Sacramento.

This sets a dangerous precedent of municipal leaders passing laws against
protests and free speech whenever they don't like the protestors' message.

The things they claim they want to prevent, vandalism, property damage,
violence, are already illegal.

Both the current ordinance and the amended version which the City Council
will consider on Tuesday, Nov. 30, make it harder for policemen to do their job
because they have to consider how thick a sign is, what material it is made of,
whether the pvc pipe holding up a banner is the legal dimension, whether a
container is glass or plastic, etc. etc. Otherwise they could focus on criminal
behavior and do their job.

Cities pass an ordinance like this whenever there is a protest against
economic globalization. We don't want Sacramento to be known as the city that
tramples on civil rights. We want Sacramento to  be known as a city that
respects
civil rights.

As the ordinance exists today the Veterans of Foreign Wars parade would be
illegal because the participants carry weapons. If the proposed amendments are
passed then they will be able to carry unloaded weapons in a parade if the
weapons have been checked by police to verify that they are unloaded.

In June 2003 people gathered to champion organic, wholesome food. For doing
that many were subjected to arbitrary arrest, personal injury, and thrown into
jail.

What is the connection between City Manager Bob Thomas and Homeland Security?
The California National Guard Association recently "assigned Colonel Robert
P. Thomas as Director, Homeland Security Directorate." What does this mean?

What will the proposed amendments do?
Only "spontaneous" parades of 75 people or less will not need to have a
permit.

No glass containers of any kind are allowed (say goodbye to candlelight
vigils).

No PVC plastic pipe greater than 1" in diameter is allowed to support
banners(say goodbye to
large banners which need larger pipe).

"Spontaneous" protests can only take place if they are occasioned by news or
affairs coming into public knowledge within ten days of the proposed parade.
The same is true of park useage. What about a group deciding to do something at
their monthly meeting which is occasioned by something that is not news? What
about someone standing outside a building with a sign protesting a slum lord,
or any other issue, who is joined by people passing him/her?

No banners or signs made of plastic.

There are more, of course, but those are some of the big ones. We need to
repeal it.
************************************
Contact Info for City Council, Mayor, etc.
Richard Ramirez, Deputy City Manager: (916) 808-5704

Area code for all phone numbers is (916)
The Mayor and Council Offices are located at:
City Hall, 730 I Street, Suite 321, Sacramento, CA 95814

Mayor/City Council (General Information)    808-5407
FAX - all Councilmembers - 264-7680   TDD - all Councilmembers - 808-5819

Mayor's Office - Mayor Heather Fargo : 808-5300
e-mail:hfargo [at] cityofsacramento.org 
   
District 1 - Councilmember, Ray Tretheway - 808-7001
e-mail:rtretheway [at] cityofsacramento.org
   
District 2 - Councilmember, Sandy Sheedy - 808-7002
e-mail: ssheedy [at] cityofsacramento.org
   
District 3 - Councilmember, Steve Cohn - 808-7003
e-mail: scohn [at] cityofsacramento.org
   
District 4 -Councilmember, Robert King Fong -  808-7004
   
District 5 - Councilmember, Lauren Hammond - 808-7005
e-mail: lhammond [at] cityofsacramento.org
   
District 6 - Councilmember, Kevin McCarty - 808-7006
   
District 7 - Councilmember, Robbie Waters - 808-7007
e-mail: rwaters [at] cityofsacramento.org
   
District 8 - Councilmember, Bonnie J. Pannell - 808-7008
e-mail: bpannell [at] cityofsacramento.org