Judge: Protesters Unfairly Excluded From Bush's 2005 Inaugural Parade Route

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge says the National Park Service mishandled President Bush's 2005 inaugural parade by excluding an anti-war group from major portions of the route.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman says in his ruling Thursday that the ANSWER Coalition's First Amendment rights were violated and that the inauguration "is not a private event."

Vast portions of Pennsylvania Avenue had been reserved for ticketed guests approved by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The judge writes that the Park Service, working on the committee's behalf, cannot reserve all of Pennsylvania Avenue for itself when issuing permits.

Park Service officials have argued that they fulfilled their obligation to allow the public access to areas along the parade route.

---EOE---

http://www.wthitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8048071&nav=menu593_2

[grannylib]

1. I wonder how that might impact anything having to do with the planned protests

for the RNC this summer. I realize that a convention and a parade are different, but they're trying similar tactics for similar reasons here in Minnesota...

[Purveyor]

2. The Feds will continue the same practices. Some group will take them to court and 3 years later

a judgement will be rendered.

Nothing will change.

[grannylib]

4. I know the group here in Minnesota is working to get a permit for

a space within sight and sound of the venue where the Pukes are meeting. It requires that it be an ongoing protest or some such thing, so groups in the Twin Cities have been meeting and marching/protesting regularly in these months leading up to the convention, in order to comply with municipal regulations, or some such shit...I really wish I lived closer to that area and that gas wasn't so damned expensive...I've already put in for vacation time for the convention itself, but I just can't go up there every month :-(

[cyberpj]

3. Fat lot of good that does NOW. And that's what they knew then, that it would take this long. nt

[MiniMe]

5. So now the repukes will be able to picket if our dems ever start fighting McSame instead each

other.

[grannylib]

6. I just want people to get the fact that this entire country is a Free Speech Zone

Yes, there are some reasonable restrictions (no yelling "hijack" in an airport, for example) but when it comes to honest disagreement with one's government, that's about as fundamental a right as we have in this country, and attempts to limit it by putting it "out of sight, out of mind" and therefore, largely out of range of media attention, are just criminal. But then, that pretty much sums up the entire Bush administration.