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Early Addition
Now that the NYPD has required processions of 50 or more "on foot, bicycle, or other 'devices moved by human power,'" per the Sun, people are getting ready for a rumble. At a rally yesterday, activists asked the City Council to stop this ridiculous rule from being enforced.
The City Bar Association's Peter T. Barbur wondered to amNew York, "Does this mean that if you are on a school trip and crossed the trip as a group, you would need a parade permit?" Man, we guess you start narcing on those slow second graders starting February 25. And tourist groups. What about throngs of people just walking in the same direction to, say, Penn Station? The penalty for not getting a permit is up to 10 days in jail and a $25 fine.
While this rule seems to be aimed at Critical Mass, even the Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association was denied when they asked the NYPD to exempt funeral processions (since you can't predict when someone's gonna die!). Learn more at how to fight the new rule at Assemble for Rights.
Photograph of the NYPD during the 2007 Idiotarod by ryan muir on Flickr; as Carts of Brooklyn noted in the post-Idiotarod wrap-up, "The NYPD out-did themselves this year. While it appeared they forgot to enter an actual cart, they had a massive team with hundreds of members. They used organization and technology. They had HELICOPTERS! That is pretty bad ass. The horses were pretty cool too. They also managed to arrive at the real starting line before C.O.B.R.A. even got there."
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...welcome to the police state.
ummm freedom of assembly??? oh thats right, we're not using that silly old "constitution" thingy anymore.
It's odd how the police can effectively create its own laws.
I
ll remember that next time i see 50 cops standing around doing nada.
that's ridiculous...how can they just legislate like that?? i'm too much of a wimp, but i hope someone else submits to getting their ass kicked, fined, and jailed and then challenges this. then again, can you challenge something that isn't even a law?!? i'm so confused
This country is going into the toilet.
Freedom of assembly?
The terrorists have won.
Terrorism is the perfect excuse for our Government to destroy our freedom, and dominate the populace. Because after all it is for your own good.
Somehow they will use the terrorism angle to justify this BS.
As for the police they are just mindless tools who will use the excues they are just following orders to start bashing and harassing groups of harmless people.
1. Police State? You have no idea what a police state is. But being as liberal as you are, you probably think anything the judicial system does is police state-like.
2. Freedom of Assembly? Thankfully our non-police state allows us to challenge ths in a court of law.
3. Police effectively create laws? The police didn't create this. The courts did. The police enforce the law(s) they do not make them.
So when a big dance club closes for the evening, there's probably more than 50 people leaving at once. Oftentimes, they are a recognizable group: a parade of drunk assholes!
So are assholes illegal now?
#7, regarding your third point, the news sources are all saying the NYPD made the rules, not the courts.
hey Bob, do you know how to read? These rules were not made by courts, they were made by the police:
"The police department has more narrowly defined the rules that allow protesters and other groups to parade in New York City [...] The department gave notice in July that it was planning to define the rules more narrowly. An earlier proposal by the department required groups of 30 or more to apply for a permit, but after a public hearing in November, the department changed the number to 50."
Keep your smarmy right-winger neo fascist comments to yourself, dipshit.
Start rounding up the commuters! I love it!
Of course, then and only then will you start seeing some action regarding how asinine this is.
BTW, why is it only the Manhattan CM that has this problem? Apparently, in Brooklyn, the police not only don't harrass anyone, but they ride through intersections and STOP TRAFFIC for the bikers (sorry, cyclists)! And then, just to confirm the theory that the brass hates bikes, they tell them to stay out of Manhattan, because they're nuts there.
Sadly, they're right.
PS: #7, two out of three ain't bad... but what's scary is that the cops actually are creating this rule and calling it a permit policy. If you want to know why this has everyone chilled to the bone, think about that for a minute... the enforement branch is no making the rules.
'Course, maybe they're just following the lead of our Fearless Leader in DC, who's nominating convention started this whole mess in the first place.
Probably will be thrown out if challenged, but why don't just reword the rule specifically for Critical Masses or for left wing hipsters, since only liberals will be affected by this.
I blamed this all on the 2004 RNC as well as the moron protestors.
#7 Bob Loblaw: per your answer no. 3 - the NYPD proposes the law, in this case it goes to a public hearing, and then it becomes law. The NYPD did not need approval from the Mayor's Office or City Council to change the old law. As NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman commented, "Changes to our City's permit laws should be made by the City Council, not the police department."
This has ACLU case written all over it. Hop to, guys.
next time Bush comes to town, someone remind me to check with the NYPD to make sure that the Secret Service obtained the proper permits.
It's another step to make NYC the premier city for boring-ass baby boomers, vanilla finance geeks, and the most boring set of "creatives" that have probably ever graced the US.
These are deliberate steps by Bloomberg, etc., to make NYC an appealing investment to all those people. He's said it himself many times, and it's making the city billions of dollars.
The end result is making New York, while safe, etc., you know ... a place you're not welcome unless you're old and retired with a hefty 7-figure savings, some dreary, vanilla-ass banker, or an artist who has never experienced need or conflict in his/her life. Good times.
Everytime the NYPD gets turned back on something, they just wait a few years and come back with something equally or more egregious. Way to go, filth!
It seems the NYPD is discriminating against hipsters. Besides the obvious 1st Amendment violations this law probably in practice will also violate the 14th. Go NYPD!
"It's another step to make NYC the premier city for boring-ass baby boomers, vanilla finance geeks, and the most boring set of "creatives" that have probably ever graced the US."
Amen, brotha. And right on the heals of Bush speaking at Wall St to the kind of vanillas that feel some illusory contol of our financial status as a country.
I think it would be an exagerration to equate one society with the other, but the parallels are starting to get creepy and frightening.
Crowd control is important in a densely populated urban environment, for both safety and logistical reasons; but such a restrictive rule that's bound to be policed selectively is tantamount to political harassment.
Anyone want to get 245 people together? Break it up into 5 groups of 49 each. Each group would have shirts that say "I'm am in Group A. I am not in Group B, C, D or E" and such.
If we do it, make sure you bring you Lite Brite!
".. required processions of 50 or more "on foot, bicycle, or other 'devices moved by human power,'" per the Sun, people are getting ready for a rumble."
oh, so the NYPD requires processions of 50 or more now? how exciting! I think there's a verb missing here. I daresay a verb phrase. something along the linees of " ... to register for a parade permit." I mean, we all know what's going down here, but perhaps you should put the subject of your article in the text somewhere, Jen ...
Yes I can read. I can also write. I misread.—NYPD, not the
City Council, proposed the law. The courts validated it.
#10:
*Keep your smarmy right-winger neo fascist comments to yourself, dipshit.*
I guess being an American who abides by the law, votes, pays his taxes and exercises his rights to the US Constitution (i.e. freedom of expression and press) is a right-wing-neo-facist in your book.
You're the reason why Al Gore lost the 2000 election. You voted Green Party didn't you? (you may as wll have voted directly for Bush).
Get off your soapbox and change your diaper. This thread is for adults, not ill-educated angry liberals (who never get there way.)
I never mentioned once that I agree with the permit/law, now did I? Go, as your duty as an American and protest this permit/law. Writing and calling me names isn't going to change a thing, except how people look at you.
The Iranian parallel falls on its face when you are forced to recognize the difference between the Appeals system of the United States and praying for the Kalashnikov pressed to the back of your skull to jam. But hey, it wouldn’t be hyperbolic without hyperbole.
As a vanilla finance geek I take umbrage with some of the above remarks. Then again, the less the public knows/understands of the financial world, the more I can charge for my services.
For now, why doesn't Critical Mass get around this "law" by dividing the hundreds of people who participate in some of their rides into groups of 50 people or fewer? Let each group come up with an official name so that they are considered separate organizations. Is there any law about small groups of people coincidentally going for a bike ride on the same day at the same time?
If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
—Samuel Adams
Americans are and will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white, and blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes everyday.
bob loblaw,
you still got it wrong... the courts have NOT approved this.
also, gore did not lose 2000. bush stole it just as he does with everything else.
"not ill-educated angry liberals (who never get there way.)"
DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE THE IRONY HERE?
And no, I didn't vote green you imbecile.
#20
We can start talking political harrassment when the US Government shuts down over 100 news papers in a years time. the Iranian president, Ahmadinejad (who has very little executive authority over the Iranian military and thus not a real threat to global politics) has closed over 100 mainstream Iranian newspapers... Ahmadinejad preached freedom of speech in Iran (only as a convenience when they held their holocaust denial forum), but then he closes 100 newspapers... yeah... You can't have it both ways and call it freedom of speech...
Our policies are a far cry from Iran or any other nation in the Near East (middle east) (except of course Israel, the Arab Emirates and a few others)
#30: since when did we start comparing ourselves to the lowest common denominator? the point of being the Land of the Free is not to be able to say "oh, I mean, sure, we no longer have the freedom of assembly, but HEY! look at China! we're still better than them!" -- it's to be able to say "we are the best, we are what just and right people everywhere should strive for."
#29:
You voted Green. That's why you're so angry. You'll never get over the fact that you were part of a group of people (The liberal green party) who essentially let Bush cake-walk into office.
If the Green voters like you voted Gore, we'd be in a better place now. I guess we can all thank you personally for this new Critical Mass permit uproar.
Ooops... Gothamist.com doesn't have spell check and I work for living. It's called speed typing... You should be used to it by now, Gothamist mispells and grammatically enhances just about every post written here.
haha...Critical Mass with burning man-esque subdivided camps of 49! The big, fat machine is too slow and dumb counter intelligence.
Little brother, my best friend and worst enemy, will likely capture more footage of NYPD getting violent with hippies to add to their really stellar reputation as masters of crowd control and servers and protectors to fan these flames.
jg-
blllhhh. Land of the free, I beleive has something to do with freedom. There is very little freedom in being number 1. Look at Miss America.
Also, please define 'just' and 'right' in a global context.
"I believe it has something to do with young men killing themselves"
jg-
blllhhh. Land of the free, if I'm not mistaken has more to do with...uh, what's that? oh, right- FREEDOM, than say, being number one.
Not much freedom in that. Just more restrictions, no free lunch, and lots of people gunning for you. Ask Miss America.
"Democracy: I believe it has something to do with young men killing eachother"
When I brought up Iran, the word exaggeration was used specifically and purposefully, i.e., "It would be an exagerration [sic] to . . . " The point was the parallels, namely the cracking down on protests not sanctioned with official permits, the videotaping of protestors, and the sometimes violent dispersal of crowds.
I've written in the past that reasonable measures should be taken to ensure the safety and livability of New Yorkers and their city. I wrote the other day that I think it's good that NYC is a rarity in accomodating mass demonstrations without resorting to tear gas and rubber bullets or worse (although some people objected). And I'm fully aware that NYC is not Tehran. I'm wondering if someone in Tehran reading this story and its thread could make the same distinction.
#31.
I wasn't remotely comparing ourselves to the lowest... I was merely illustrating to #20 that it's not so bad here. Have you lived elsewhere to compare? The right to assembly has not been taken away, you'll just need a permit for over 50 people, mainly Critical Mass.
Permits do not violate the law or the Constitution. You need a gun permit to pack heat—does that violate the 2nd amendment? No.
Bob, what are you, 12? I've already told you I didn't vote for Nader, you jackass, I voted for Gore. Let it go; you've proven yourself to be a moron to the entire board. Just go crawl back under that rock you came out from.
This may very well be a rule that holds up under the Constitution. I'm not arguing that it's right or that it's not tightening reins in an way that makes me uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean it's unconstitutional. People throw around the text of the First Amendment as if hundreds of cases haven't debated what the text actually means. You can't just throw out "freedom of assembly" - there's lots of restrictions on the freedom to assemble that are entirely constitutional.
Also, listen - I'm a Democrat. I'm a lefty. I'm not a huge flag-waver. I do, however, think it's absolutely ridiculous to compare anything that happens in NYC to police states in legitimately oppressed, frightening countries (like Iran). Most of us would last a day in that kind of environment, seriously. Please get some perspective.
re. police state...
its all relative. to say that things are better here in the good ol[ u.s. of f*ckin a than some extreme case elsewhere in the world (which you actually know nothing about 'cuz you ain't been there) is completely moronic. if rights are taken away, they are taken away...period. THAT is wrong.
CM once was granted the right to ride without being harassed, and that was taken away and this was done by the cops, no more and no less. THAT is wrong.
Listen to Samantha, its not like the constitution was written on a cocktail napkin last night. Anyone who uses a constitutional term of art without some knowledge base in law sounds like a tourist loudly asking where the bathroom is in a language they are unfamiliar with.
yeah i'm 12. People like you who voted Nader tell people Gore because they're too proud too admit they helped Bush.
Nice cover.
Such an amazing way to throw away taxpayers dollars.
Just let the rapists and murders run free because the NYPD has other better things to do like look for groups of 50 or more in the street.
I'm so frickin glad Arrested Development is cancelled.
so I don't have to hear from it's nerdy passive aggressive internet fans like bob loblaw.
hey Bob, uh, I know you are but what am I
arrested dev. was one of the better tv shows television ever had, it was just too intelligent for most of america.
#45: funny you say that, cuz i was thinking the same thing last night after your "what're you 12" comment.
No you are! nah nah!
Still for nerds, geeks, passive aggressives with guns, hi-fi, ham radios, knives and whatever immature boys love.
And guys think women are nuts, did you ever hang out at a bar full of nerdy guys?
Here's a hint of what they talk about.
Does that pint glass really hold a pint of beer?
uh, I don't know, why don't we try it.
For proof, listen to Al micheals and that dope Madden. proof positive.
So uhh ... traffic jams are now officially illegal in NYC right?