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Government
attempting to restrict use of National Mall Take action
right now to defend free speech rights!
(Washington,
January 15,
2008 Ceegaag Online)
At a public
meeting called by the National Park Service on Saturday,
January 12 in
Washington, D.C.,
representatives from the Partnership for Civil Justice,
ANSWER Coalition, Nicaragua Network, Grassroots America,
ImpeachBush.org and others demanded that
there be no new restrictions placed on the right of the
people to access the National Mall for free speech
activities.
The National
Park Service (NPS) is undertaking an initiative similar to
that launched to exclude protests from
New York
City's Great Lawn. It will be used to further restrict or
ban protest on the Mall from current levels. This is a
component of a nationwide campaign of corporate-sponsored
organizations working in partnership with government
entities that claim that protests, rallies and
demonstrations harm grass or "green space" or "natural
resources" and must therefore be restricted or banned or
shunted off to designated protest pits.
Take
Action
Right now, you can email the National Park Service demanding
that there be no restrictions on the right of the people to
assemble.
We have set up an easy to use mechanism that will allow your
message to be sent to the National Parks Service by clicking
this link.
It is urgent
that people around the country take action to stop the plan
of the Bush Administration's Interior Department to obstruct
free speech rights for mass assembly protest in
Washington, D.C.
The Bush
White House plans to complete this process and
deliver a knockout punch to free speech rights by January,
2009, the very last month that Bush will remain in office.
The National
Mall has been associated for decades as the site for mass
assembly protest and gatherings. On January 18, 2003, the
ANSWER Coalition organized a demonstration of 500,000 prior
to the invasion of Iraq. The
Nation of Islam led the Million Man March in
1995 on the Mall. The
National Organization for Women sponsored the
March for Women's Lives bringing more than a million people
to the Mall in 2004. A huge gathering for immigrant rights
took place on the Mall in 2006 as part of a nation-wide
outpouring. From the Bonus Marchers of the early 1930s, to
Dr. King's Poor People's March of 1968, and the anti-war
Moratorium of 1969, the Mall is the historic anchor for the
exercise of free speech rights in the United States.
A lawsuit filed by the Partnership for Civil Justice on
behalf of the National Council of Arab Americans and the
ANSWER Coalition successfully overturned regulations in
New York City that were used to prevent mass
assembly protest in the Great Lawn of
Central Park during the
Republican National Convention. Those planning
changes to the use and access to the National Mall have
stated that they see structure used to restrict use of the
Great Lawn as a model for their activities.
The NPS has set up a "public-private" partnership that
allows business interests and real estate developers -- in
coordination with the government -- to determine the future
of the National Mall. The Jan. 12 public meeting was
intended to have low attendance to allow the government to
claim public involvement while simultaneously excluding it.
When confronted with the fact that they had done no
legitimate outreach about the public meeting to the hundreds
of thousands of people who have actually used the National
Mall, the President of the Trust for the National
Mall responded that she had sent notice to the Board of
Trade! The NPS issues 3,000 permits a year for the use of
the National Mall, but there has been no effort to notify
any of those organizations about the proposed changes. Their
attempt to exclude people from this process could not be
more clear.
At the hearing the officials tried to quiet the outraged
voices of the people, to change the topic of discussion, and
to dismiss their concerns. They did, however, keep saying,
just send us a message on-line. That is what we are asking
everyone to do today.
The government is trying to end the public "comment" period
by February 1, 2008. The ANSWER Coalition also demanded at
the hearing that the sham process of the NPS be halted. We
demanded that a moratorium be declared so that the people of
this country can be able and informed to weigh in with their
opinion. The National Mall belongs to the people. Click
this link to send your message to the National Park Service.
Please tell a friend about this important fight for free
speech by forwarding this email by clicking this link.
Please Help
With a Donation in this Free Speech Fight
Help us in this fight to keep the National Mall open for the
exercise of free speech. We are undertaking a major
organizing initiative to counter the government's
plans. The ANSWER Coalition has an unwavering commitment to
defend the free speech rights and civil liberties of the
people of this country. But this challenge, which ranges
from the streets to the courtrooms, requires significant
funds, and we simply cannot do it without your help.
Please click this link to make your donation right now.
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
http://www.answercoalition.org/
info@internationalanswer.org
National Office in
Washington DC:
202-544-3389
New York City:
212-694-8720
Los Angeles:
213-251-1025
San Francisco:
415-821-6545
Chicago:
773-463-0311
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