Posted on 12/07/2004 2:27:30 PM PST by nickcarraway
The hoods hiding under the white hoods of the Ku Klux Klan will have to show their faces if they want to protest in New York City, the Supreme Court decided yesterday.
The high court put an end to a five-year legal battle yesterday by refusing to hear an appeal of the city's mask ordinance filed by a KKK offshoot group.
The group had argued its rights were violated in 1999, when the city barred its members from a masked protest in Foley Square. Seventeen members demonstrated anyway - along with 6,000 counterprotesters.
A federal appeals court ruled against the Church of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in January, calling the city's 159-year-old ordinance constitutional.
"While the First Amendment protects the rights of citizens to express their viewpoints, however unpopular, it does not guarantee ideal conditions for doing so," the appeals court said.
The city ordinance forbids gatherings of three or more masked or hooded people - unless they are attending "a masquerade party or like entertainment."
Since the law was dusted off to stop the KKK rally, it has been used generally against left-wing protesters at events like May Day protests, the Republican National Convention and the 2002 World Economic Forum.
If, instead, they suddenly jerked the masks off these Klansmen there would be a bunch of Lefties standing there.
If the KKK would just donate a little cash to the DNC, they'd be welcomed with open arms just like other domestic terrorist groups....ALF, ELF, PETA, ACLU
What the Dems do to minorities who stray from the Liberal "plantation", is right in line with the Klan.
Hmmm. The left will protest this decision as it will ALSO require black masked agitprop antiwar socialists to SHOW THEIR FACES as well.
All Sharpton knows that he needs the KKK to balance out his own racist politics.
The city ordinance forbids gatherings of three or more masked or hooded people - unless they are attending "a masquerade party or like entertainment."
"Klan protest in New York: Five scared looking guys surrounded by 30,000 screaming counterprotesters..."
LOL. Good one.
The city ordinance forbids gatherings of three or more masked or hooded people - unless they are attending "a masquerade party or like entertainment."
Sorry...weegee beat me to it. :)
Let's call it "The Anonymous Idiots" law.
I am going to say this is not right.
I know you ar joking, but, as a matter of fact, the modern KKK was pretty well represented in NY - Upstate and Central NY. It was primarily directed at Catholics, rather than Blacks from 1920 till 1950 or so.
In my old home town of Washingtonville, a large cross was burned a number of times on top of Woodcock Mountain during the 30s.
How about a compromise: they can wear their hoods, but they get no police protection, and the city doesn't have to pay for any hospitalization.
I fully support this ruling. It drives me nuts to see these effing weasels in the Middle East run around with their little ski masks on.
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