Judge Blocks Anti-war March Near United Nations (Snicker Snicker)

WINS News ^ | 2/10/03

[areafiftyone]

(1010 WINS) (NEW YORK) The First Amendment rights of anti-war demonstrators have not been violated by the city's decision to block them from marching past the United Nations on Saturday, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Citing "this time of heightened security," U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones said the city's need to protect the public outweighs the right of demonstrators to proceed with plans to march past the UN.

"While the court recognizes the distinct importance of marching, the city's restriction on marching is not a restriction on pure speech, but rather a restriction on the manner in which plaintiff may communicate its message," Jones wrote.

The protesters will be allowed to demonstrate in a designated area near the United Nations. The demonstration is being organized by United for Peace and Justice, a coalition of anti-war groups that is sponsoring rallies throughout the world on Saturday.

The city had rejected a parade permit for Saturday's rally because police could not assure public safety for up to 100,000 people without better information from organizers, city lawyer Rachel Goldman argued in court last week.

"The First Amendment right is not absolute. The plaintiffs do not have a right to march or protest any way they want, wherever they want and how they want," Goldman said. "We don't have a general ban against protest marches in the city of New York."

Chris Dunn, a staff attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union, argued that the city was using "a theoretical possibility something terrible is going to happen to cancel the right of people to participate in peaceful protest."

He accused the city of quietly adopting a blanket policy of refusing parade permits for certain parts of Manhattan.

The United Nations is considered an especially sensitive security landmark after it was included in 1993 as a target of terrorists who plotted to blow up five New York City landmarks. The plot was thwarted and a dozen men were eventually convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

[piasa]

Why don't they protest over there in front of the offices of NY Transfer, being kindred spirits and all.

[OldFriend]

Disignated area not good enough for these haters, they want to be roaming the streets, dirupting business and traffic at will.

[OldFriend]

oops, make that DESIGNATED

[areafiftyone]

Heck they were even thinking about disrupting traffic by stopping their cars in the middle of it. What idiots! They have every right to protest but they should obey all rules instead of acting like children. Don't they realize that acting like that is turning people off and away from them. What idiots!

[DoughtyOne]

Might I suggest we support the idea that the anti-war (peace!!!) protesters be allowed to protest at the base of the UN. Hell the damage could bring the building down. If we're lucky, it would fall on them.

[hapy]

poor little libbys. All dressed up and no-where to march.

It is ok to take your kids to the march, there will be no second hand smoke, just first hand tear gas. That should be ok. no law on first hand tear gas, but let us make sure we have one on second hand smoke

[concerned about politics]

The demonstration is being organized by United for Peace and Justice, a coalition of anti-war groups that is sponsoring rallies throughout the world on Saturday.

These communist organizations got soooo close with Clinton, but now they see their utopia fading off into the distance.
The better and freer America becomes, the more temper tantrums they have.
Too bad commies. No one really cares about you. You lost. Get over it!

[ken5050]

Or, like the witches' coven who protested at the Pentagon during the Vietnam War, they could try to levitate the UN...actualy, they might succeed, there's sooooo much hot air in the place..

[areafiftyone]

From the chatter - the anti-american commie peaceniks are going to try to march anyways. What morons - they said they will get more media attention that way. So it goes to show that the reason why they are protesting is NOT FOR A CAUSE BUT FOR MEDIA ATTENTION! I guess the word CHILDREN really applies here! They should be happy they can protest but all they are worried about is attention. Thank god its on a Saturday and not on a work day. New Yorkers would give them hell if they interrupted their commute.

[doug from upland]

Ummmm.....do we really care if they protect the U.N. building?

[Squantos]

Anti-War Protest at the UN ? .......Can you say "redundant" boys and girls ?

Stay Safe Piasa !

[concerned about politics]

They fear the war may go too well. We could liberate the Iraq people within weeks and see them celebrating Bush in the streets. That's why they want it stopped.

[concerned about politics]

NOT FOR A CAUSE BUT FOR MEDIA ATTENTION! I guess the word CHILDREN really applies here!

And the more the media shows them, the better we look. Leftists are not deep thinkers.

[areafiftyone]

Actually I was reading an article on the homelss people riding the subways this year more than ever because of the cold - I say we should be charitable and let them have the U.N.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed. There sure are some nuts and bolts out there in the fabric of America. Somehow they always meet at the fringe.

[smith288]

This is how it would be if you lived in a commie nation hippies. Like it? Islamists like this way too... Imagine if all your voices were cut off...

Obviously they can protest somewhere else. Its their right. BUt they dont want that, they want it their way or its fascism.

[TheBigB]

Shucky-darn! Now where will Manhattanites get their weekly dose of street guerilla theater and anti-war puppet shows?

[Wurlitzer]

I detest these left wing, anti-American, socialist, communists as much as any Conservative however, political speech is the prime motivation behind the First Amendment and we should not cheer too loudly when this scum is denied the right to march.

"In the name of security", will be the death call of our constitutional rights. If we believe that any constitutional right can be suspended when any low level government hack declares "In the name of security" then we have completely surrendered to the big government types.

[concerned about politics]

I guess the word CHILDREN really applies here!

When my son was 5, he got mad at a little girl and pulled his pants down in front of her.
I asked him why the heck he would do something like that. He said he gave her the "moon". (Close, but not quite right, but he was only 5. LOL)
I asked where he learned that. He said when you get mad on the school bus, you give someone you're mad at the moon (We homeschool now).
Anyway, I hear about the Communist getting naked for peace, and it always reminds me of the little children who do the same thing when they're upset.