Left In Lowell

This burns me, having encountered this stupid red-tape idea they call “permits” which are required to have lawful, peaceful, assembly and free speech events in our own city. Cindy Sheehan has been arrested for speaking has been escorted away after arrests in NYC.

And when those permits - as stupid and illegitimate as the whole damn idea is - are delayed, requests ignored, and permits for lawful, peaceful citizens are not speedily handed out, I’d say you have a case for it being unconstitutional. Time for a lawsuit against the city.

Can we finally have a debate about the status of free and unhindered speech in our country? You know, the one everyone claims is the freest in the world? There was this thing we used to call the Bill of Rights…

[Update: More from NYC’s Indymedia. They are saying it wasn’t Cindy who was arrested, but the organizers, and that “No warning of any kind was given, and this was a permitted rally.” Also: “A captain made a cutting motion at his throat, signalling he wanted no more free speech. He waited about 30 seconds, then the police moved in. They didn’t dare arrest Cindy, but they immediately moved in and grabbed zool, the event’s organizer and one of the main organizers of Camp Casey-NYC, pulling him away and arresting him.”]

[Update: Another first-hand account, slightly different, from Booman Tribune. “The police unplugged the PA-system. The organizers of CC, New York (mainly Green Party folks, as far as I could see) replugged it and made a small human chain (3-4 people) to prevent police from reaching the PA again. They were immediately detained and the crown started to boo and shout. Not so much in anger, initially - I think most of us were in total disbelief. As reality sunk in, the crowd became more vocal.”]