| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/07/2008 : 1:09:05 PM
Statement in Defense of Free Speech Rights on the National Mall
We the undersigned are supporting the emergency mobilization of the people demanding that there be no new restrictions on free speech or protest related activities on the National Mall in Washington D.C. This is the real objective of the Bush Administration’s plans for the National Mall.
Unless we take action, the Bush Administration, as one of its final acts, will leave office having dramatically altered access of the people to public lands that have been the site of the most significant mass assembly protests in U.S. history.
The National Mall has been the historic site for the people of the United States to come together to seek equality, justice, and peace. These activities are the lifeblood of a democracy. The National Mall is not an ornamental lawn. The National Mall performs its most sacrosanct and valued function when it serves as the place of assembly for political protest, dissent and free speech.
We oppose any efforts to further restrict protest on the Mall, to relegate protest to a government-designated protest pit or zone, to stage-manage or channel free speech activity to suit the government, or to stifle or abridge our rights to expression upon the public forum that is the National Mall. We call for a moratorium on further actions by the National Park Service that would in any way channel, restrict or inhibit the people's use of the National Mall in furtherance of our First Amendment rights.
Initial signers:
Howard Zinn, professor, author of People's History of the United States
Ramsey Clark, former US Attorney General
Cindy Sheehan
Dennis Banks, Co-Founder, American Indian Movement
Malik Rahim, Co-Founder, Common Ground Collective, New Orleans
John Passacantando, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA
Mahdi Bray, Exec. Director, Muslim American Society, Freedom Foundation
Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
Elias Rashmawi, National Coordinator, National Council of Arab Americans
Heidi Boghosian, Exec. Director of National Lawyers Guild
Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Co-Founder, Partnership for Civil Justice
Carl Messineo, Co-Founder, Partnership for Civil Justice
Jim Lafferty, Exec. Director of the National Lawyers Guild, Los Angeles
Tina Richards, CEO, Grassroots America
Brian Becker, National Coordinator, ANSWER Coalition
Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg, killed in Iraq
Dr. Harriet Adams, Esq.
Elliot Adams, President, Veterans for Peace
Jennifer Harbury, Human Rights Attorney
Ron Kovic, Vietnam Veteran, author, Born on the Fourth of July
Juan Jose Gutierrez, Latino Movement USA
Blase and Theresa Bonpane, Office of the Americas
Fernando Suarez Del Solar, Guerrero Azteca, father of Jesus Del Solar, soldier killed in Iraq
Chuck Kaufman, Alliance for Global Justice
Frank Dorrel, Publisher, Addicted to War
William Blum, Author
Sue Udry, Director, Defending Dissent Foundation
Annalisa Enrile, Mariposa Alliance
Ed Asner, Actor
TO SIGN THE PETITION CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK:
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/Survey?SURVEY_ID=1201&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 2:12:57 PM
Uncovering Secrets
Freedom of Information Act Requests Demand Government Release National Mall Documents
The Partnership for Civil Justice has filed two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests on behalf of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition seeking critical information about the effort of the Bush Administration to privatize the National Mall.
One FOIA demands the government release information about the make-up of the Trust for the National Mall, the private business-led entity that the National Park Service (NPS) has authorized to partner in its planned remake of the National Mall. The government has so far refused to disclose critical information about the Trust, including its Board of Directors. The FOIA also demands records of communications between the Bush Administration, the NPS and the private Trust.
Since thousands of people around the country have written the NPS demanding that the National Mall remain fully open for free speech activities, the government has back-tracked and claimed that their plans to create a "protest pit" are only an option under consideration -- but two official reports put out last year by the NPS say otherwise.
The second FOIA request demands the Bush Administration's NPS release information regarding those plans, as evidenced in the reports, to restrict or ban First Amendment activities on the National Mall including their written plans to "pave civic space and speaker's corners for First Amendment Demonstrations" so as to "reduce the impact" on the "experience of other visitors."
These FOIAs are part of the larger campaign in Defense of Free Speech Rights on the National Mall. The campaign seeks to defeat the efforts of the Bush Administration and Corporate America to inhibit, obstruct and banish Free Speech protests on the National Mall in Washington, DC and in other park lands and public spaces around the country. You can read a copy of the two FOIA requests at the following links:
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/DocServer/00058348.pdf?docID=802
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/DocServer/00058351.pdf?docID=801 |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/07/2008 : 1:34:14 PM
More links for those interested(& YOU SHOULD BE!)
Background on the NPS initiative to restrict protesting on the National Mall:
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=National_Mall
Washington Post article: The Battle to Remold the Mall
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5264
Alternet article: National Mall Redesign Could Seriously Restrict Free Speech
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5279&news_iv_ctrl=1101
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| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/07/2008 : 1:19:23 PM
Oppose the Bush administration's assault on free speech
Save the National Mall as a place of protest!
Also an important message to those who have signed the
Statement in Defense of Free Speech on the National Mall
The struggle to preserve Free Speech in Washington D.C. has entered a new phase. We are writing to you so that you can help in the next step of this critical struggle. If he gets his way, Bush will leave office having shredded fundamental rights to redress grievances and engage in dissent on the National Mall in the nation’s capital. But we can stop this plan.
Because of the participation of you and so many other people around the country, the Bush Administration has been pushed on the defensive. Due to immense public pressure that has been mobilized in the last months the government is now resorting to a smoke and mirror campaign to derail those who are fighting to preserve cherished rights. The people can stop them.
We need you to take action right now:
We are planning on sending the Statement in Defense of Free Speech Rights on the National Mall -- with a list of its thousands of signers -- to the National Park Service and want to further publish the statement. Showing just how many people have already taken action will be an important part of the campaign to defend the National Mall and the First Amendment.
Before we send or publish the statement and signers, we want to confirm with you that we can include you as a signer. We value your privacy. Please take 30 seconds to fill out the form here if you have already signed the statement:
http://www.justiceonline.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5285
Please take a moment and help this Free Speech movement take the next step. If you signed the Statement in Defense of Free Speech on the National Mall before it is crucial that you take the next step by clicking the above link. You can also let us know on this same link if you do not want your name included publicly. Initial signers include, Howard Zinn, Cindy Sheehan, Ed Asner, Malik Rahim, Ramsey Clark, Kathy Kelly, Ron Kovic, Dennis Banks and many others.
Here is the situation: More than 15,000 letters flooded the National Park Service (NPS) supporting the centrality of free speech rights on the National Mall. The Bush Administration was shocked by the overwhelming response. They thought that they could essentially privatize the National Mall in Washington DC and quietly eliminate essential Free Speech activities. The plan is to go into effect the last month that Bush is in office in January 2009.
This insidious goal hasn’t changed one bit but they have now quickly shifted their tactics to blunt the massive new movement that has arisen to defend Free Speech on the National Mall.
Bush’s NPS has quickly revamped the web site. The phrase “First Amendment" now appears all over the site. You would think that they are re-organizing the National Mall in order to have more demonstrations, protests and rallies rather than try to banish or limit them. It is all smoke and mirrors. More untruths from the Bush Administration working in partnership with Corporate America.
This is a coordinated effort that we are seeing across the country - the privatization of our public spaces to make them off-limits for us to gather for free speech and assembly. While we have just been victorious in the fight for the Great Lawn of Central Park all eyes are now turning to the National Mall. This is the battle of most significance with repercussions that will be felt coast-to-coast.
Here is how you can help. It will take only a moment of your time but it will make a huge difference.
1) The Partnership for Civil Justice has set up an easy-to-use mechanism that will allow you to send a message directly to the National Park Service about their National Mall Plan. Click below:
https://secure2.convio.net/pepcj/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=105&JServSessionIdr005=8s7lwbehh6.app7a
2) Sign the Statement in Defense of Free Speech Rights on the National Mall.
3) If you have already signed this statement, click the above link right now to let us know if we can publicize you as a signer of this important statement.
4) If you are unsure whether you have already signed, you can sign the statement again, and all duplicate names will be eliminated.
Sincerely,
Mara Verheyden-Hillard and Carl Messineo, co-founders of Partnership for Civil Justice |
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