City appealing judges order banning blanket bag searches w/o spec. threat

[Khephra]

City appealing judge's order banning blanket bag searches without specific safety threat

NEW YORK -- The city notified a federal appeals court Friday that it will challenge a judge's ruling limiting when police can search demonstrators at events such as the Republican National Convention, saying it was wrong "at this dangerous time" to impose judicial oversight as the city decides how to protect the public.

Still, though, the city did not seek immediate action by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, meaning that the July 19 order by Judge Robert W. Sweet will remain in place during the convention, scheduled for Aug. 30-Sept. 2.

Sweet said the city had not proven that the "general invocation of terrorist threats" was sufficient to justify the invasion of personal privacy without showing how searches would reduce the threats.

In a release, the city said it "strongly disagrees" with Sweet's order. It added, however, that the ruling has little practical effect, since the judge gave police permission to search bags in certain instances and because the police department had already changed other procedures to promote the smoother flow of people from block to block.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--gopconvention-pol0806aug06,0,2475694.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

[Occulus]

1. so spread the word to have all the protesters at the RNC

carry a plastic or paper bag with lots of markers and pencils in the bottom in protest of this policy.

We are free. We are not afraid of being free.