ORGANIZERS DEFY ORDER TO REMOVE SEPT. 15 POSTERS
"We will not pay one penny for our First Amendment rights." This was the ANSWER Coalition¹s reply to the threat of having to pay a $10,000 fine if it refuses to tear down 65 posters its placed in Washington D.C., publicizing the Sept. 15 march and rally for peace. Nor does the coalition intend to remove the posters, which the National Park Service contends "deface" government property. The fines come after a campaign led by pro-war FOX News calling for the D.C. government to take action against those putting up the posters.
Similar posters from different commercial and political groups are plastered all around the city but only those calling attention to the peace event have generated official displeasure. The Sept. 15 event is backed by over a score of peace groups and coalitions, but ANSWER is the main organizer.The coalition urges peace supporters to take action by calling William O. Howland Jr., the city Director of Department of Public Works, at (202)673-6833, and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, at (202) 724-8876, suggesting something like this:
"The government does not fine politicians who put up campaign posters, or commercial and business interests that plaster Washington with posters. It is outrageous that the city, in concert with FOX News, is attempting to suppress the antiwar movement. Stop the harassment. Stop the fines." There is a fascinating, brief video account of the poster affair by a Washington TV station at http://www.pephost.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8587&news_iv_ctrl=3361Full details about the Sept. 15 action found at http://www.sept15.org/ andhttp://answercoalition.org/ .) The websites also contain a provision for making a contribution to support the Sept. 15 events.
"We will not pay one penny for our First Amendment rights." This was the ANSWER Coalition¹s reply to the threat of having to pay a $10,000 fine if it refuses to tear down 65 posters its placed in Washington D.C., publicizing the Sept. 15 march and rally for peace. Nor does the coalition intend to remove the posters, which the National Park Service contends "deface" government property. The fines come after a campaign led by pro-war FOX News calling for the D.C. government to take action against those putting up the posters.
Similar posters from different commercial and political groups are plastered all around the city but only those calling attention to the peace event have generated official displeasure. The Sept. 15 event is backed by over a score of peace groups and coalitions, but ANSWER is the main organizer.The coalition urges peace supporters to take action by calling William O. Howland Jr., the city Director of Department of Public Works, at (202)673-6833, and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, at (202) 724-8876, suggesting something like this:
"The government does not fine politicians who put up campaign posters, or commercial and business interests that plaster Washington with posters. It is outrageous that the city, in concert with FOX News, is attempting to suppress the antiwar movement. Stop the harassment. Stop the fines." There is a fascinating, brief video account of the poster affair by a Washington TV station at http://www.pephost.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8587&news_iv_ctrl=3361Full details about the Sept. 15 action found at http://www.sept15.org/ andhttp://answercoalition.org/ .) The websites also contain a provision for making a contribution to support the Sept. 15 events.
No comments:
Post a Comment