The Furious Spinner

In case you haven't been following what's happening in New York, here's an alert from United for Peace and Justice. Mayor Bloomberg is attempting to deny protesters the use of Central Park for a protest during the convention. It's not just the Republicans who are trying (and succeeding) in restricting our civil liberties. And it goes on and on...

UFPJ SUES NYC OVER CENTRAL PARK:

Rallying in Central Park is a right, not a privilege! United for Peace and Justice filed a lawsuit today in New York State Supreme Court over New York City's denial of the use of Central Park for a rally on August 29, after our legal, permitted march past Madison Square Garden. We are seeking a court order to allow the rally to proceed.

The lawsuit "UFPJ vs. New York City Mayor Bloomberg, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and the City of New York" asserts that Central Park has traditionally served as a forum for free expression, and that by denying us its use, New York City is violating our Constitutional rights to free assembly.

The filing of this lawsuit means that we probably will not know the final destination for our march until the very last minute.

We've faced this situation before: It was just days before our massive February 15, 2003 antiwar protest that we were able to announce the details for our event. Then, too, Mayor Bloomberg hoped that the uncertainty would keep people away, but he failed miserably: Hundreds of thousands of you showed up for one of the largest protests in New York City's history.

Those of you who are not in New York City may not be aware of how bizarre things have gotten in recent days. On Monday, Mayor Bloomberg declared that protesting is a "privilege" that can be taken away. Then yesterday, he held a press conference with the NYC tourist bureau to announce special shopping and restaurant discounts for protesters. We're not making this stuff up; read the news articles at the bottom of this email.

So Mayor Bloomberg wants us to shop but not rally, and darkly hints that he would rather we not protest at all.

All this comes after revelations in Monday's New York Times that the FBI has been interrogating and intimidating activists around the country, in a transparent attempt to scare them away from the Republican Convention protests. A letter writer in today's Times responded, "I was going back and forth about whether to come to New York to protest at the Republican convention. But since I've learned that the F.B.I. has been deployed to intimidate protesters, I no longer have any doubt about what to do. It is no longer just a matter of political protest. It is a matter of defending our constitutional rights. I'm coming to New York."

The best way for us to counter the efforts to stifle our protest is to do everything we can in these next ten days to ensure the largest, broadest possible turnout on August 29, when we will march past the site of the Republican Convention to call for an end to the divisive and destructive policies of the Bush Administration.

Make sure all your family members, friends, and coworkers know that our legal, permitted march is going forward, no matter what happens in court.

Make sure they know that "whatever the tabloids and the TV news might say" we are committed to a peaceful protest, one that kids, seniors, immigrants, and people with disabilities can attend, and we will march in a spirit of nonviolence.

Make sure they know that we are NOT marching to the West Side Highway, even if we do not win our fight for Central Park.

Make sure they tell their friends about the protest, and that they join us at 10:00AM on Sunday, August 29 at Seventh Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan, to send a message so loud it cannot be ignored: We're sick of the lies, sick of the greed, sickened by the war and the hate, and we want a change.

In solidarity,
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