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New York bans anti-Bush protests
A major political protest against the Republicans has been banned.
The huge protests that were scheduled to take place alongside the Republican Convention in New York this weekend are now illegal, thanks to a Judge in the Supreme Court of New York state. The Judge is a good friend of New York's Republican Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who will host the Convention.
Whatever the official excuse, this is a deliberate and unlawful attempt to suppress the opposition during the run up to US Predidential elections. The Constitutional rights of free assembly and free speech have been violated for anybody who wants to demonstrate against Bush or the Republican party.
Millions of law abiding citizens will be deterred, but hundreds of thousands or Americans are expected defy the ban and exercise their lawful right to peaceful protest.
SOURCE:
BBC News, "New York bans rally against Bush", 26 August 2004.
[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3600200.stm ]
Political activists opposed to US President George W Bush have been told they will not be allowed to stage a huge rally in New York this weekend.
The planned anti-war protest in Central Park was to coincide with the eve of the Republican Convention and would have begun a week of protest rallies.
It meant to make life uncomfortable for the president and his supporters.
Organisers say the ban is a violation of their constitutional rights of assembly and free speech.
A judge at New York's state Supreme Court has ruled that the rally, which was expected to attract a quarter of a million demonstrators, cannot be held in Central Park because of the damage which may be caused to the grass.
The city has given permission for a march to pass the convention centre in midtown Manhattan on Sunday.
However, organisers have warned that in the absence of a place to gather legally, demonstrators may move on Central Park afterwards and that could bring the possibility of provoking clashes with the police.
Leslie Cagan, co-ordinator for the United for Peace and Justice group, said the ban on the demonstration was politically motivated by the Republican Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg.
"A Republican mayor hosting a Republican convention has done everything designed to undermine the demonstration against policies of a Republican administration," she said.
FURTHER READING
BBC News, "NY protests as Republicans gather", 30 August 2004.
[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3610394.stm ]
Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in New York against President Bush, as his Republican Party gathers for its national convention.
Speakers on the first day of the convention will include the former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, and Senator John McCain.
A massive security sweep has virtually sealed off the convention venue.
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Police gave no official crowd estimate. One law enforcement official put the crowd at 125,000 people but organisers said it was more than 500,000, the Associated Press reported.
There were no immediate reports of incidents or injuries during the march, which followed smaller demonstrations over the weekend that led to nearly 300 arrests.
Four police helicopters buzzed overhead during the march.
After weeks of legal wrangling, protesters have been denied the right to march across Central Park, but some had vowed to defy the ban, raising the prospect of a confrontation with police.
The Republican convention is being held just a short distance from the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the 11 September 2001 attacks - and just a few days before the third anniversary of those attacks.
The date marked the beginning of what the Bush administration calls its war on terror, and the president has made this a centrepiece of his re-election campaign.
But our correspondent says Mr Bush's opponents believe that, by holding the convention in New York, he is exploiting the tragedy for his own political ends.
The president is not due to arrive at the convention until Wednesday.
He will spend one night in New York and accept the Republican nomination as presidential candidate, before heading for the election battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Ohio and beyond.
The opening day of the convention is reportedly intended to focus on Mr Bush's leadership in the "war on terror", with a tribute to families of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
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BBC News, "'Anybody but Bush,' cry NY marchers", 29 August 2004.
[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3610896.stm ]
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March organisers had predicted that 250,000 would take part in the protest.
They said that the turn out exceeded their wildest expectations.
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Just blocks from the Madison Square Garden, a group of protestors decided to stay at home in their apartment overlooking the route.
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On the eve of Sunday's massive march, New York City Police said more than 300 protestors had been arrested and more than 50 more were arrested during the first hour of the march.
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Ray Lyman worked in a building across the street from the south tower of the World Trade Centre. The building was heavily damaged and is still covered in a black shroud.
He said the Republican Party's decision to hold its convention in New York is insulting and emotionally offensive. "It feels like a complete violation," he said.
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Four years ago, the protests at the Democratic and Republican conventions were made up largely of Americans who felt alienated from traditional party politics and saw little difference between the two mainstream parties.
But at this march, the political theme could be summed by "Anybody but Bush", even if that means electing John Kerry who voted for the war in Iraq, which they overwhelmingly oppose.
Stephanie Jennings came all the way from San Diego, California, to march in New York.
She carried a sign calling for voters in swing states to vote for the "lesser of two warmongers".
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But she wants John Kerry to win. Under Bush policies, "we are on the precipice. It's a really dangerous time," she said. "Four more years of this, and I fear for the world."
"The Insider" mailing list article, 27 August 2004.
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