A cyclist is ticketed during Critical Mass last spring
City Council Member Rosie Mendez has introduced a bill to overturn the NYPD's parade permit rules, which require groups of over 50 to obtain a permit before assembling. Enacted a year ago, the rules were seen as a way for the city to subvert Critical Mass rides and have been the subject of civil rights action and at least one lawsuit.
Mendez, along with Alan Gerson and Gale Brewer, were to introduce the "First Amendment Assembly Act" yesterday. According to a media release, the bill [PDF] "decriminalizes parading without a permit and allows groups that need exceptions to various laws, such as traffic laws, to obtain such for their events."
Streetsblog has posted consistently on how the NYPD seems more intent on harassing cyclists than protecting them. And just last week Commissioner Ray Kelly got an earful from citizens who are fed up with unsafe conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.
The full press release from Mendez follows the jump.
COUNCIL MEMBER MENDEZ INTRODUCES BILL TO PROTECT THE FIRST AMENDMENTRIGHT TO ASSEMBLE
Wednesday March 26th 2008
At today's Stated City Council meeting, Council Member Rosie Mendez(District 2, Manhattan), along with Council Members Alan Gerson and GaleBrewer, will introduce a bill to balance the NYPD's duty to ensurepublic safety with citizens' right to free assembly. If enacted intolaw, the bill will override the parade permit rules adopted by the NYPDa year ago which were created without City Council oversight and requireany group of 50 or more to obtain a permit. Currently, anyone in such agroup without a permit is subject to arrest.
A copy of the legislation being introduced can be downloaded from theAssemble For Rights NYC website:http://www.assembleforrightsnyc.org/files/a4r/legal/parade_bill_final_draft.doc
"Groups wishing to assemble and stay within the limits of the law shouldnot be required to obtain a permit; the First Amendment is our permit"stated Council Member Mendez. "Larger assemblies that want the police toassist in managing traffic along their route and ensure security shouldbe able to apply for a permit through a fair and transparent process.This bill sets forth clear guidelines for each instance."
The First Amendment Assembly Act, based on legislation drafted by thecivil rights advocacy group Assemble For Rights NYC, decriminalizesparading without a permit and allows groups that need exceptions tovarious laws, such as traffic laws, to obtain such for their events.
A parade permit will not be required when:* A group believes their proposed assembly will not prevent other lawfuluses of the same city public space and the expected attendance of theassembly will be less than 100, or* The assembly is an immediate and spontaneous response to an event.
The Act also sets forth guidelines for the NYPD to facilitate peacefulassemblies even when a group should have obtained a permit but did not.Furthermore, the Act also encourages calmer resolutions to assemblieswhich become too difficult for the NYPD to facilitate: these guidelinesinclude providing clearly communicated dispersal orders and reasonableopportunities to disperse before making any arrests.
The Act is similar to rules which were created to govern assemblies inWashington D.C. in the wake of mass arrests that eventually cost D.C.millions in civil penalties. D.C.'s laws have successfully reducedtensions between police and citizens there, and significantly reducedthat city's legal liability to wrongful arrest civil suits, whileensuring public safety.
Assemble For Rights NYC (http://assembleforrightsnyc.org), is acoalition of over two dozen organizations dedicated to keeping freespeech alive and well in New York City.
Photo: Doug Letterman/Flickr
