NY Activists again eye Central Park, "We are not going to the highway."

[G_j]

http://www.villagevoice.com/print/issues/0432/ferguson.php

by Sarah Ferguson

They'll Take Manhattan
Activists again eye Central Park, central streets

August 10th, 2004 11:20 AM


Responding to signs of mutiny in the ranks of protesters, organizers with United for Peace and Justice say they will reopen the battle for the right to gather in Central Park on Sunday, August 29, the eve of the Republican National Convention.

At a packed press conference on Tuesday at UFPJ’s midtown offices, national coordinator Leslie Cagan announced that the group had reapplied that morning for a permit to use the Great Lawn as well as Central Park’s East Meadow and North Meadow, acknowledging Parks Department concerns that the Great Lawn is too small to handle a crowd of up to 250,000 people.

Cagan said the group would wait for the city's response, although she did not rule out a lawsuit if the Parks Department refuses to grant them a permit.

"We are exploring all our options, including legal options," Cagan said. "But let me be clear, we are not going to the highway."

..more..

[burythehatchet]

1. I've got a bad feeling about these three days in August

I see bad things happening.

[trumad]

2. Indeed...

And Rove is lovin it.

[Junkdrawer]

5. People here are already talking about ignoring the law and protesting...

in central park:

Aug. 29, what if 300,000 people just decided to go to Central Park?

Folks, this is an incredibly BAD IDEA.

[G_j]

3. latest letter from UFPJ

Dear UFPJ supporter:

WE ARE MARCHING! On August 29, United for Peace and Justice will hold a
massive, impassioned, peaceful, and legal march past Madison Square
Garden, the site of the Republican Convention, to protest the Bush
Administration’s deceit and destruction.

But we will NOT be rallying afterwards on the West Side Highway. As we
announced in a press conference today, exiling us to a remote stretch
of sun-baked highway makes a mockery of our right to assembly: The deal
is off.

Our medics have told us that the West Side Highway isn’t a safe place
for seniors, children, and people with disabilities to rally. Our sound
engineers have told us that it’s not possible to set up a quality sound
system there. Many of our members have told us that they simply will
not go to such an awful and marginal location. And our common sense has
told us that this deal was a set-up by a Republican mayor openly hostile
to free speech.

Central Park is the only sensible place for us to rally. We filed a new
permit application today with the NYC Parks Department to rally in
Central Park on August 29, using the Great Lawn, North Meadow, and East
Meadow. We will keep you informed of the City’s response.

Our march plans remain unchanged: We will assemble beginning at 10:00AM
at Seventh Avenue and 14th Street, and step off at noon for our legal
and peaceful march past Madison Square Garden.

You’ve supported us politically through this difficult struggle against
the effort to repress our protest, and now we need your financial
support, too. This long fight for our right to assemble has been very
costly, and we need to raise more than $75,000 by the end of this week to
move forward with our organizing efforts.

Every dollar you donate today is a statement of support for our right
to hold this crucial protest against the Bush Agenda. Please dig deep
into your pockets and make the most generous donation you can – we can’t
allow Bush, Bloomberg, and the Republicans to stifle our cry for peace
and justice!

You can donate in several ways:
* Using a credit card online at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate
* By calling in a credit card donation to 212-868-5545
* By mailing a check or money order to UFPJ, P.O. Box 607, Times Square
Station, NY NY 10108

The war in Iraq worsens every day, the U.S. economy is battered, and
our civil liberties are under assault, while the Bush Administration
shamelessly tries to frighten the population into silence. We say NO to the
war, NO to the lies, NO to the greed and the hate, and NO to the attack
on our basic rights.

With less than three weeks remaining before August 29, we all need to
kick into the highest possible gear to make this protest a success.
Now’s the time to finalize your plans to come to New York City for this
crucial and historic day. Urge your friends, your family, your co-workers,
and everyone you know to stand up against the Bush Agenda by marching
with us on August 29.

Keep checking our website for new resources and information, and we’ll
see you in the streets!

In solidarity,
United for Peace and Justice

[LWolf]

4. Here on the left coast

I wish I could watch it, since I can't march.