The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition is announcing today plans to distribute tens of
thousands of leaflets at New York City subway stops today and tomorrow morning
informing people of their basic rights regarding the use of the Great Lawn and
Central Park. The leaflet states âtens of thousands of New Yorkers use the
Great Lawn of Central Park every weekend. You do not need a permit to come to
the Park.â The Parks Department does not require a permit for âcasual park
use by visitors.â The denial of the permit prevents the NCA and
A.N.S.W.E.R. from having a rally with a stage and sound, but it is obvious
that many individuals who were planning to attend will go to Central Park on
Saturday, and on other days through the next week.
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and the National Council of Arab Americans
applied for a permit to be in the Great Lawn for a mass rally in
defense of the civil rights and civil liberties of the Arab and Muslim
community. The permit, which was applied for in January 2004, was
denied in mid-June. This week, U.S. federal court judge William Pauley
III refused to grant a preliminary injunction against the city, which
would have directed the issuance of the permit. The judgeâs decision did not
state that the Great Lawn and Central Park were off-limits, and indeed, the
court suggested that the city and the permit applicant could still work out an
agreement for the use of the Great Lawn. A.N.S.W.E.R. and the NCA addressed
every specific problem that had been raised by the city, and yet the city
refused to discuss use of the Great Lawn.
âThousands of people intended to come to the rally. They believe they have
the right to be in Central Park. We have been denied the right to sponsor a
rally on August 28 on the Great Lawn. The fact is that people are coming to
Central Park on August 28 and on other days in the following week, and it is
their constitutional right to do so,â stated Brian Becker, National
Coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition. Becker continued, âwe are handing
out thousands of leaflets to inform everyone that the park does not require a
permit for casual park use by visitors, and we are telling them that if
they are bringing signs or drums, or other musical instruments, what
the specific regulations state. Individuals have the right, for instance, to
bring anti-war or anti-Bush signs to the Great Lawn if they are no more
than 2 feet in height and 3 feet in length. They can also bring a drum, but
they cannot use the drum in parklands between the night-time hours of 10 PM
and 8 AM.â
âThe litigation we filed was based on the fact that the Mayor and the city
have provided access to the Great Lawn for those who have corporate or
government sponsorship, while they denied permits to people who are protesting
Bushâs domestic and foreign policy. The denial of free speech assembly is
content-based, it is not neutral. Some are favored, and others are
disfavored,â stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard of the Partnership for Civil
Justice and the National Lawyers Guild. Verheyden-Hilliard was the lead
attorney in the litigation filed in federal court.
âWhat was revealed by the litigation, the statements of the defendants in
court filings, and in open court and in the communication between the NCA and
ANSWER with the city, was that the Mayor and the city were determined to
obstruct the granting of a permit for the Great Lawn to these applicants
no-matter what,â stated Verheyden-Hilliard. âWe know for a fact now, as a
consequence of the legal and political challenge that was initiated with the
filing of our lawsuit on August 13, 2004, that the Mayor is determined to
historically alter the use of the Great Lawn and Central Park. Traditionally
understood as the heart of New York City and a democratic tradition, the Mayor
is determined to make the Great Lawn a preserve for corporate sponsors. Using
the renovation of the Lawn as a pretext, the use of Central Park is in fact
becoming privatized. It is essential to continue the fight to preserve the
essence of free speech rights, including the right for mass assembly
protests in New York City.â
If you want to volunteer with the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition on August
29 - or just pick up a sign to carry in the march or get a flyer
about upcoming activities - come to our dispatch area at 13th
St. and 7th Ave. from 8 am - 12 noon. Please note: Call
212-533-0417 if you cannot find us at this location.
