The Parks Department has backed off from a law introduced in the fall that bans performers from practicing their craft within 5 feet of a bench or 50 feet of a monument, a rule that would have all but cleared Washington Square Park of its superb buskers. “Generally, expressive matter vending rules do not apply to buskers and entertainers,” a spokesperson for the Parks Department told DNAinfo. Unfortunately, taking your shoes off on a hot day while sitting next to someone who is eating is still 100% legal. more ›

Last week, as NYU students protested against the only Chick-fil-A in New York State, the NYU Student Senators Council released a statement announcing that the controversial yet popular chain would not be asked to leave the university's campus. The SSC explained, "There is a fundamental difference between personal boycott and institutional prohibition. To ban any entity from campus for ideological reasons is, in most every case, to limit freedom of expression." But the Council's decision was not unanimous, and today NYU Local reports there will be another demonstration this week to increase pressure on the Council. more ›

Poor tobacco companies can't advertise on TV, and persecuted smokers can't even enjoy their fine line of carcinogenic products in most places in New York—and now the government wants to bogart the space on their cigarette packages with graphic ads to remind customers about the consequences of their actions. Luckily for Big Tobacco, they've got Judge Richard J. Leon in their corner. Yesterday the George W. Bush appointee blocked a federal requirement that would have forced U.S. tobacco companies to put big graphic images on their cigarette packages. more ›

Barney Rosset, the passionate publisher of Grove Press and an ardent defender of free speech, died Tuesday after a double-heart-valve replacement. He was 89. During his long career, Rosset published and fought censorship battles over such controversial books as D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer, and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch. With his imprint Grove Press, Rosset championed Samuel Beckett here in America, and published Che Guevara, Ho Chi Minh and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. According to the Times obituary: more ›

A group organizing a nationwide protest to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has been prohibited from demonstrating outside the Federal Courthouse on Pearl Street tomorrow. The group, Move to Amend, is now suing the federal agency in charge of issuing the permit and demanding an injunction that would allow an estimated 200 protesters to peaceably assemble. And what reason were they given for the permit denial (below)? An official with the Government Services Administration explained it was because of "a morning citizenship swearing in, and a 4:00 p.m. installment of a federal judge." Yeah, can't they pick a day to protest when no one's around to witness it—especially not impressionable new Americans? more ›

It seems Mayor Bloomberg still gets a bit pissy if you question him about his perfect handling of Occupy Wall Street: during his weekly radio appearance this morning, Bloomberg was asked about the November raid on Zuccotti Park, during which several reporters were arrested and others were forcibly removed from the park. Bloomberg insisted that there was no media blackout during the early morning raid: "We didn't keep anybody from reporting, you just had to stand to the side. You don't have a right as a press person to stand in the way just in the interest of getting the story...the police [showed] amazing restraint. This is the greatest police department in the world. The number of times police fire their weapons here is so much less than any other police department." more ›

New Yorkers don't just love parks for their serenity or greenspace, but for the excitement of possibly breaking an arcane law while enjoying them. Eating a donut in a public playground without a minor? Enjoying a widely-sold, heavily taxed carcinogenic product? You're breaking the law! Add a new statute to the mix: it's illegal for buskers to perform within 50 feet of a monument or landmark. Finally, unobstructed views of the World Famous Garibaldi statue. more ›

A NJ mother claims that her daughter was suspended because she was wearing a Confederate Flag shirt—and now the mother wants to take her child out of the Melvin Kreps Middle School. Jane West told the Times of Trenton that a vice principal asked if she could bring a change of clothes for her daughter, "The Indian kids wear their turbans. The Jewish kids wear their yarmulkes. That’s their birthright. I told him that Torri was born in Virginia. That flag is her heritage and I’m not telling her to take it off. He said ‘I guess she’ll have to suffer the consequences.’" And consequences are not fun—a Staten Island boy who wore a Confederate flag shirt because he loves history was allegedly abused by classmates who thought it was racist. more ›

After most of the world, including his 30 Rock co-star Tina Fey, pounced on comedian Tracy Morgan for his violent, homophobic routine at a recent show in Nashville, Chris Rock took to Twitter on Friday evening to defend Morgan's right to free speech and artistic integrity. He Tweeted: "I don't know about you but I don't want to live in world where Tracy Morgan cant say fail inappropriate shit." It didn't take long for GLAAD to chastise Rock for his defense, shooting back via Twitter, "Language about stabbing kids for being gay isn't 'foul.' It's dangerous." Now, Rock himself is backpedaling. more ›

In 2007, Burlington, CT high school student Avery Doninger was a 16-year-old with a blog and big ambitions to serve as class secretary during her senior year. But when principal Karissa Niehoff canceled the school's popular battle-of-the-bands concert called "Jamfest," Doninger excoriated Niehoff on her blog, calling her a "douchebag" and urging students to bombard her with emails. And in one click of a mouse, her political aspirations were ruined—as payback, Niehoff refused to let Doninger serve as class secretary, a position Doninger won as a write-in candidate after Niehoff tossed her off the ballot. Now, over three years later, an appeals court has upheld the school's actions, to the delight of every d-bag administrator in America. more ›

After nearly a year of posturing and arguing, the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" is inching closer and closer to losing the mosque part and becoming an "interfaith cultural center." But some of the controversies it inspired in the past are still being settled: the NJ Transit employee who burned a Koran on Sept. 11 at a protest of the proposed center, and was subsequently fired from his job, has won his lawsuit against the state, and will get his job back. more ›

There was much debate yesterday over whether Derek Fenton, the NJ man who burned pages of the Koran at a protest of the Park 51 project on Sept. 11, should have been fired from his job at NJ Transit. Today, NJ Gov. Chris Christie defended NJ Transit's decision: "We're supportive of the action taken by NJTransit," Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak told the Daily News. more ›

The man who burned a Koran this past weekend at the protest of the proposed Islamic community center and mosque has been fired from his job. Derek Fenton was terminated from his NJTransit job on Monday after pictures of him "Mapplethorping the Quran" were published in newspapers all over the country. "Mr. Fenton's public actions violated New Jersey Transit's code of ethics," a NJTransit statement said. more ›

The rubbers have to hit the road. Two unlicensed street vendors fighting for the right to sell political-themed condoms under the guise of free speech have had their lawsuit rubbed out by a Manhattan Criminal Court judge. Thomas Larsen and Edward Wardle, employees of the novelty-condom company Practice Safe Policy, were given tickets on Canal Street and in Times Square for pushing prophylactics like The Palin, which comes in a wrapper with the slogan "When Abortion is Not an Option." Their Obama condom's described as "Ultimate Stimulus Package." On Friday judge Michael Gerstein ruled that no matter how hilarious their products, their business was not protected by the First Amendment. more ›

Long-time readers of Gothamist may remember that we've applied for NYPD press passes a couple of times, and have gotten denied. The explanation we were given was that the NYPD only credentials traditional media— radio, print, and television— and that online reportage simply did not qualify. So it was with great interest that we attended today's public discussion of "Rules for City Issued Press Credentials" at New York Law School. more ›

Yesterday, NJ blogger surrendered to Connecticut authorities, who claimed his blog post incited injury to state lawmakers and a state employee (he promised to include their addresses) by urging readers to "take up arms and put down this tyranny by force" against them. According to the AP, Harold Turner was upset "over legislation that would have given lay members of Roman Catholic churches in Connecticut more control over their parish's finances." The bill was withdrawn in March, but Turner wrote on June 2, "It is our intent to forment direct action against these individuals personally. These beastly government officials should be made an example of as a warning to others in government: Obey the Constitution or die." Turner's Blogspot blog was removed by Blogrer; Courant's Capitol Watch adds, "Turner, who has been identified as a white supremacist and anti-Semite by several anti-racism groups, hosts an Internet radio program with an associated blog." Turner's lawyer said the defense will focus on the First Amendment. more ›

Yesterday, The Daily News printed an article that began, "A cop-bashing art exhibit at a taxpayer-funded museum in Brooklyn portrays the city's Finest as trigger-happy racists who have put bull's-eyes on the backs of black New Yorkers." more ›

Two members of a three-judge federal appellate court panel took the city to task yesterday for removing the principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy. Debbie Almontaser, who helped found the dual-language school with an emphasis on Arab culture, stepped down before the school opened last fall, after controversy over remarks she made in the NY Post. more ›

MOVIE: Delve into the mind and life of H.L. “Doc” Humes (pictured) in a documentary by his daughter. Titled Doc, the 96-minute film focuses in on the counterculture icon. "In the 1950s and early '60s, Doc co-founded The Paris Review, wrote two acclaimed novels, and was a gregarious fixture of the cultural scene in Paris, London and New York. Doc was a 1950s NYC intellectual, a 60s free speech militant, and a 70s visionary crazy genius. His story is the story of decades of cultural history, a poignant personal long-strange-trip, and a fount of ever-relevant ideas." Tonight Immy Humes (filmmaker) will be at the 8pm screening, and tomorrow night she will be joined by Paul Auster. More info here. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on Autumn and Liberty Aves. in Brooklyn, a suspicious fire on Wallace Ave. and Pelham Parkway in the Bronx,and a carjacking on 85th St. in the Bronx.
• Lawyers for Ted Corliss continue to argue for charges to be dismissed against their client, who attempted to jump off the Empire State Building, even after the State Supreme Court ruled that jumping off tall buildings was a form of free speech. Corliss is currently experimenting with jumping out of airplanes and landing without a parachute.
• I'm still trying to figure out how to parlay my cardboard box residence to this Internet entrepreneur's comfortable domicile. Next week in Extra, Extra: drunk guys hurting themselves and barely legal girls making out.
• PSA: 7 Line service will be out of commission starting this upcoming Saturday. Alternate service will be available on the LIRR, unless of course, Amtrak workers go on strike, in which case one can take the subwa . . .nevermind.

The Parks Dept. decided to throw in the towel on litigation that's been going on for three years and conceded to reevaluate its requirement that no more than 50,000 people could gather on Central Park's Great Lawn at one time. more ›

D is for drunk and disorderly, not boobs and breasts. At least according to New Jersey State Senator Richard Codey. The Times first reported yesterday on the halftime events at Gate D at Giants Stadium during Jets games. Hundreds of fans gather on the exit ramp, chanting at women and encouraging them to expose their breasts. If they don't lift their shirts, the women are met with boos and sometimes are spit at or have... more ›

Hallelujah! Yesterday the judge presiding over the Reverend Billy case dropped the charges that claimed he harassed public officials. The Rev was arrested in June while reciting the First Amendment in Union Square during a Critical Mass ride which coincided with the protest of the proposed MOFTB rules. Turns out the prosecutors didn't meet their deadline to file papers explaining the arrest and its justification. The Reverend's (whose real name is Bill Talen) lawyer, Earl... more ›

Are disputes between dry cleaners and their customers a new source of income for lawyers? The owner of an Upper East Side drycleaning business is suing a man for papering the neighborhood around his store with fliers that impeach the quality of his service. Todd Ofsink owns Todd Layne Cleaners on East 77th St. and is suing Evan Maloney for $100,000 for defamation. Maloney had some negative customer experiences at the store, so he set up a site called ToddLayneCleanersSucks.com and began posting fliers. more ›

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke today, giving a speech and sort of answers some of questions posed by Columbia University President Lee Bollinger and School of International and Public Affairs Dean John Coatsworth. We're sure video and transcripts will come shortly, but in the meant time, The Bwog, New York, and City Room have been liveblogging the speech. Here's a sample of questions posed, via the City Room:

In response to a question about the treatment of homosexuals in Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad was initially evasive, instead talking about the death penalty, which, he pointed out, exists in the United States: “People who violate the laws by using guns, creating insecurity selling guns, distributing guns at a high level are sentenced to execution in Iran. Very few of these punishments are carried out in the public eye.” more ›

When the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting announced in June that they were proposing new rules for videographers, filmmakers and photographers - everyone who's ever seen an image of New York responded. more ›

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg traveled back to his Massachusetts roots and gave the commencement speech at Tufts University. Bloomberg, who grew up in Medford, name checked various haunts in the hood, tried to seem with it by mentioning Busta Rhymes, Ali G, and Salma Hayek, and reminded kids to call their mother. He also discussed free speech, in what the Sun called a nod to the Minutemen incident at Columbia:

The fourth lesson is, in the words of Ali G, 'Respect.' Don't worry, I'm not going to start quoting Borat. Respect is so important - especially in times of conflict. You all know what I'm talking about. In December, The Primary Source printed some things that much of this community ardently disagreed with - that many considered quite offensive. But instead of suppressing the publication - and despite the emotion of the moment - you respected their right to express themselves. more ›

prompted a free speech case heard by the Supreme Court and was the only film banned in New York as well as 24 states and 4 countries. For those interested in the underground film movement in New York in the '60s, Smith is a really seminal, though obscure figure. This documentary portrait gives a real sense of Smith's struggles to get his work made and his role within the scene, from his exotic, free-form film shoots on SoHo apartment roofs to his late night, drug-fueled performance art pieces. Ultimately we see how Smith unfortunate insistence that his work remain unfinished (ostensibly to safeguard against getting banned again) kept him woefully obscure. But Jordan's documentary is a wonderful opportunity to see much of his luscious, weird and provocative work blown up on the big screen as well as hear from the crazy crew of friends and enemies who knew Smith. The film is playing now at Film Forum through April 24th, so don't miss it. more ›