embers of a group opposed to the Republican National Convention, many describing themselves as anarchists, said yesterday that they would carry out illegal protest activities on the convention's second day.Posted on 08/04/2004 9:54:16 PM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
embers of a group opposed to the Republican National Convention, many describing themselves as anarchists, said yesterday that they would carry out illegal protest activities on the convention's second day.
Organizers in the group, the A31 Action Coalition, said they were calling for a nationwide day of nonviolent civil disobedience on Aug. 31 aimed at using parts of Midtown to stage demonstrations, without permits, against the Bush administration. The organizers said they were looking to break free of government intervention to have their say; they called the process for issuing permits broken and criticized the city's practice of using metal barriers to create rally areas or march routes.
"It is here, at the end of the barricades, that we will create free-speech zones, where we can create the kind of world we want to see through music and free food and dancing and debate," said Tim Doody, an organizer, at a news conference at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery, in the East Village. He added that that if asked to move, participants planned to sit down and refuse. "Freedom of assembly isn't so free if you have to ask the government where, when or if."
Throughout the day, organizers said, participants plan to demonstrate outside a variety of institutions, including a Bank of America finance round table planned the morning of Aug. 31 at Tavern on the Green and several corporations they see as contributing to the Bush administration's foreign policies or profiting from them. That evening, the protesters plan to converge around the convention site, Madison Square Garden, outside the official security zone. The coalition, still being formed, represents a broad array of interests, including education, welfare and opposition to the war.
The notion of anarchists organizing a news conference announced well in advance and held before a gaggle of reporters might seem a little odd, given the popular image of anarchists as shadowy, brick-throwing rabble-rousers bent on wreaking havoc and spreading mayhem. But the group, although anti-authoritarian, said that it is opposed to any actions that hurt people and that the tradition of civil disobedience calls for open communication of its plans rather than disguise.
Although organizers did not disavow property damage, they said they were not calling for it. They said they expect many of the planned actions to stay within legal limits. For example, demonstrating on sidewalks without blocking pedestrians or access to buildings and without using amplified sound is legal and does not require a permit.
Police officials warned the demonstrators against any lawbreaking activities. "We're principally concerned about protecting the city against terrorists or violent acts," said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's chief spokesman. "At the same time we expect everyone to obey the law - even protesters."
Note that they are organizing this stuff at one of NYC's most leftie of leftist churches. But of course, this is one of the churches that the ACLU will NOT investigate for "political activities."
"Tim Doody, an organizer"
I'm John Kerry and I am reporting for Doody
We should follow the Socialist example and borrow the cages that they used in Bahhston.
"Sadly, I agree with this knucklehead on something..."
I had the same reaction...
I guess even an anarchist has to be able to own the impact of his or her group's impact on its surroundings. Disruption being the motivation only invites escalation by the establishment.
Just a hunch, but I would anticipate widespread difficulties with wireless communication devices during the convention. Can it be done? I certainly hope so, given the recent cell phone triggered election manipulation in Madrid.
Will it be done? I don't know, but I do hope that there are operational plans and resources prepared in the event that it is required. Activist swarms would certainly provide good cover for terrorist activities.
In any event, if there are RF communications outages, they will probably be blamed on a pesky squirrel having fried itself in a critical substation.
-G.J.P. (Jr.)
These pencilnecks better not be in my way cause I'll go right through them....and then take another shower afterward.
read later
I agree with some of your sentiments.
1. Assemblies should be peaceful.
2. Assemblies should not disrupt other peaceful assemblies.
3. Assemblies should not (greatly) disrupt the daily life and economy of the local area.
So, if we roughly establish those as the rules, why must assemblies be pre-approved by the government or have their location dictated by the government? If I wanted to get a group of people together in Central Park to discuss politics - and we don't damage the park or disobey the above rules - why must I check first with the government?
Obviously, any assembly that becomes unruly or seeks to disrupt should be (legally) dispersed. That's not a peaceful assembly.
I look at it this way: those anarchists are going to assemble anyways... and they are going to get arrested. So the only people the laws hurt are the law-abiding citizens - because it is that much more difficult for us to put together a peaceful assembly.
This parallels gun laws. In NJ it takes THREE MONTHS for a law abiding citizen to get a license to lawfully own ANY weapon. If I wanted to skirt the law, I could go down to teh city basketball courts and buy a gun within a day. The criminals get by and the law-abiding citizens suffer.
Certainly leaves the question hanging, will they try to trash the election as well? If they can throw the election results into question by jamming (even just to lose votes) the different types of electronic ballot boxes, the anarchists' job will be done.
Look at past riot/protest actions. Participants will be arrested at the time but many of the charges will be dropped because there is a lack of will among the prosecutors to nail the anarchists. Keep them in jail for days? It crowds the jails.
I think that they seem to arrest them just to hold them until the event passes. Keeps everyone safe.
The police are there to protect and serve. That includes protecting the civilians in the area, the delegates holding a convention (peaceful assembly) and even the protestors.
The protestors are complaining that they cannot get near enough to the delegates to cause them terror (that is what it is about, blocking a street and screaming in their faces).
If abortionists can be protected from pro-lifers yelling "murderer" then these people who are serving a constitutional function (nominating a presidential candidate) deserve protection in their duties.
We protect the president from those who mean him harm. This is an extension of that.
The violent fringe hurts it for everybody.
You should support efforts to have such laws challenged as unconstitutional. While you can be restricted in where you take your gun (just as you can be restricted in where you gather), you have 1st Amendment and 2nd Amendment rights.
You don't have to be "licensed" to post on the internet or speak at a pub.
You miss my point - the "assclowns" are going to do it anyway. They don't care about breaking the law or causing trouble.
Therefore, the people who take the time to set up legal demostrations are the only ones being hurt.
How are they being hurt? Because they can't block the entrances to MSG and scream in the delegates' faces? Because they won't be able to mob the entrance that Bush, Cheney et al., will use?
And I've got some news for you: Very few of these groups are peaceful and law-abiding.
Ok - let me explain again...
The people that will block entrances (an illegal act) or perform sit-ins or other civil disobedience aren't affected by the *laws*. They are willing to break laws, so it doesn't matter if you put laws in place that say you must get a permit to demonstrate. They have no regard for the law, so they will break it anyway.
Even if they get a permit, they will still be hell-bent on disrupting - which isn't covered under the permit - so they'll do it anyway.
So, in the end, when it comes to "assclowns," PERMITS DON'T MATTER.
Soooooooo... the people that get hurt by excessive government control by of our right to assemble are the people who have to go through all of the trouble of obtaining a permit (the time and fees) so that they can hold a peaceful demonstration. This is directly analogous to the gun issue in NJ. Criminals will get guns no problem, but me - the law-abiding guy - has to wait 3 months and pay hefty registration fees to obtain a firearm. The criminal doesn't have to go through any of that, only the good guy does.
The same goes for the demonstrators. The good guys have hassles and fees... the bad guys will just break the laws if they see fit.
Get it?
What permits *will* do is allow the NYPD to get at something of a handle on who's going to be where and when, and plan appropriately.
And all this is on top of trying to watch out for and prevent potential terrorist acts. Get real already.
"OK, how about they swarm into your city or town, and literally take over the whole place, bringing all commerce to a screeching halt, just because they want to say something.
And, of course, you and your fellow citizens will get stuck with the bill for the extra police overtime, sanitation department overtime, court employees' overtime, etc.
Believe it or not, but many of us have to live and work here. And their freedom of speech ends where it interferes adversely with my life.
That's very easy for you to say when it isn't your city or town that's about to be invaded by these selfish, smelly cretins."
Except for "smelly", every word you said describes the GOP in NYC and the Dems in Boston!
We are talking here about LOCAL govt. They regulate for several reasons. First--money for licensing; 2. keeping on top of local happenings and security; 3. Power--because they can, and who knows how much of it is caused by No. 3.
vaudine
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.