The NYPD's New Rules
Under the guise of protecting the public safety, the New York City Police Department plans to expand its control over protest activity by labeling many common street and side walk uses as a "parade". If put into effect, these new rules will greatly suppress the right to assembly and expose peaceful protestors as well as regular people to arrest for things as simple as crossing the street against the light.
How These Rules Will Suppress Free Speech
Parade regulation was established to regulate special non-traffic use of the streets. These rules would give the police the power to arrest and detain people for things as common as walking and biking and will essentially give the NYPD carte blanche to arrest any two or more persons whenever they want.
These rules would quash spontaneous gatherings as people would be required to file for permits months in advance. Additionally requiring small groups to navigate the police bureaucracy and negotiate the particulars of their events: which sidewalk they will be on, where they will make turns, how long they will be there, is an overly high burden on our rights to assembly and speech asserted by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
In addition to protest activity the new rules will affect:
* Thousands of formal and informal runs, walks, walk-a-thons, charity runs, tours and bike rides
* Thousands of routine training runs and bike rides
* School field trips
* School walks to the park
* Site seeing tours
* Historical, cultural, environmental & neighborhood walks and tours
* Funerals
For more info, and to read the proposed rule change:
http://assembleforrightsnyc.blogspot.com/
Under the NYPD's proposed rules:
* Any group of two (yes, 2) or more cyclists or pedestrians traveling down a public street, who violate any traffic law, rule or regulation can be arrested for parading without a permit.
* Every group of 35 of more pedestrians must obtain a permit and approved route from the NYPD or would be subject to arrest
* Any group of 20 or more cyclists must obtain a permit and approved route from the NYPD or would be subject to arrest
For more info:
http://www.nlgnyc.org
http://assembleforrightsnyc.blogspot.com/
Public Forum Thursday, August 17 7pm St. Mark's Church
There will also be a People's Forum on the issue at St. Mark's Church on 10th St. at 2nd Avenue. These rallies are being sponsored by the NYC Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Transportation Alternatives, Times-Up!, the NYC Bicycle Coalition, FreeWheels and many other political and apolitical groups. If you have a group that would like to put organizational muscle behind this rally, email
Mark.Taylor@brooklaw.edu.
Public Rally and Hearing Wednesday August 23 6pm
There is an important public hearing August 23rd, we implore people to attend. The police could begin enforcing these rules as soon as August 24th. We also implore people to find five minutes to call their elected officials, their city councilor, city council speaker Chris Quinn, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Please contact David Rankin, Esq. at DavidBRankin@gmail.com to speak at the rally.
To testify at the hearing, send notice to:
Assistant Deputy Commissioner Thomas P. Doepfner
New York City Police Department
1 Police Plaza, Room 1406
New York, NY 10038.
State that you intend to testify in opposition to the NYPD's proposed changes to Chapter 19 of Title 38 of the Official Compilation of Rules of the City of New York at the public hearing on August 23, 2006 at 6pm at 1 Police Plaza.
For more info:
http://assembleforrightsnyc.blogspot.com/
Thank you for for your help with this vital issue!
Under the guise of protecting the public safety, the New York City Police Department plans to expand its control over protest activity by labeling many common street and side walk uses as a "parade". If put into effect, these new rules will greatly suppress the right to assembly and expose peaceful protestors as well as regular people to arrest for things as simple as crossing the street against the light.
How These Rules Will Suppress Free Speech
Parade regulation was established to regulate special non-traffic use of the streets. These rules would give the police the power to arrest and detain people for things as common as walking and biking and will essentially give the NYPD carte blanche to arrest any two or more persons whenever they want.
These rules would quash spontaneous gatherings as people would be required to file for permits months in advance. Additionally requiring small groups to navigate the police bureaucracy and negotiate the particulars of their events: which sidewalk they will be on, where they will make turns, how long they will be there, is an overly high burden on our rights to assembly and speech asserted by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
In addition to protest activity the new rules will affect:
* Thousands of formal and informal runs, walks, walk-a-thons, charity runs, tours and bike rides
* Thousands of routine training runs and bike rides
* School field trips
* School walks to the park
* Site seeing tours
* Historical, cultural, environmental & neighborhood walks and tours
* Funerals
For more info, and to read the proposed rule change:
http://assembleforrightsnyc.blogspot.com/ Under the NYPD's proposed rules:
* Any group of two (yes, 2) or more cyclists or pedestrians traveling down a public street, who violate any traffic law, rule or regulation can be arrested for parading without a permit.
* Every group of 35 of more pedestrians must obtain a permit and approved route from the NYPD or would be subject to arrest
* Any group of 20 or more cyclists must obtain a permit and approved route from the NYPD or would be subject to arrest
For more info:
http://www.nlgnyc.org http://assembleforrightsnyc.blogspot.com/ Public Forum Thursday, August 17 7pm St. Mark's Church
There will also be a People's Forum on the issue at St. Mark's Church on 10th St. at 2nd Avenue. These rallies are being sponsored by the NYC Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Transportation Alternatives, Times-Up!, the NYC Bicycle Coalition, FreeWheels and many other political and apolitical groups. If you have a group that would like to put organizational muscle behind this rally, email
Mark.Taylor@brooklaw.edu. Public Rally and Hearing Wednesday August 23 6pm
There is an important public hearing August 23rd, we implore people to attend. The police could begin enforcing these rules as soon as August 24th. We also implore people to find five minutes to call their elected officials, their city councilor, city council speaker Chris Quinn, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Please contact David Rankin, Esq. at
DavidBRankin@gmail.com to speak at the rally. To testify at the hearing, send notice to:
Assistant Deputy Commissioner Thomas P. Doepfner
New York City Police Department
1 Police Plaza, Room 1406
New York, NY 10038.
State that you intend to testify in opposition to the NYPD's proposed changes to Chapter 19 of Title 38 of the Official Compilation of Rules of the City of New York at the public hearing on August 23, 2006 at 6pm at 1 Police Plaza.
For more info:
http://assembleforrightsnyc.blogspot.com/ Thank you for for your help with this vital issue!
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