Free Speech Attacked Again - Fight Back

Filed under:Free Speech & Arts Policy — posted by cdrew on August 14, 2007 @ 8:16 am

NOTE: We can expect similar resistance as we seek our free speech rights. It is the rights of those who speak out that are attacked in these ways. Those who do not speak out may believe they still have their freedoms, when they have in fact lost significant freedom to speak without realizing it. To have our freedoms we must fight for the freedoms of others. Please read this and consider responding in support of ANSWER’s free speech rights.

The Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center used to advertise its T-shirt Art Exhibits locally by posting small fliers around the neighborhood. Then Daley’s Administration outlawed any posting of fliers citywide. That made it much more difficult to promote our events. The press has very little space for arts groups. The only way we can promote ourselves is to pass out literature directly to put it in mailbox door to door. Bit by bit those with great access whittle away at our access. People feel powerless to respond. We are marginalized and prevented from communicating with our audiences. Those who care should wake up to the need to fight now for our basic rights in this city and this nation. This example illustrates how all these efforts are connected. The struggle for 1st Amendment rights is also a struggle in support of the anti-war movement. The reverse is also true, the struggle of the anti-war movement must support a struggle for 1st Amendment rights.
C. Drew

P.S. I heard a youthful DJ’s voice on the radio - angry at AT&T who helped to sponsor the Lollapalooza - why - because he was on the spot to hear Pearl-Jam talk bad about Bush and AT&T edited the anti-Bush rap out on their online version claiming lamely - technical difficulties! Did I say the DJ was mad. He suggested we pay more money for the event tickets and oust AT&T as a sponsor. Wow - he was hot. I had to laugh. “…the value of Free Speech is unable to be measured!” he stated. I was driving and didn’t know what channel I had on. It took a few minutes of musing before the importance of his statements sunk in. He was correct. To me it is another clue that the forces of despotism are organizing to limit our voices. Another step in that direction is seen below.

Sunset from a Chicago El train window

STOP GOVERNMENT ATTACKS AGAINST THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT!
Take Action to Defend Free Speech. In an unprecedented action, the ANSWER Coalition today received citations fining the organization $10,000 for the placement of posters announcing the September 15 March on Washington DC.

The fines come after a campaign led by FOX news calling for the DC government to take action against those putting up posters for the September 15 demonstration.

They have told us that we have 72 hours to remove every poster, or the fines will go into effect. Tens of thousands of dollars in additional fines are expected in the coming days. Bush’s Interior Department is threatening similar actions against ANSWER. The September 15 posters are legal and conform to city regulations. We will not allow the government’s intimidation tactics to slow our outreach or silence the antiwar movement.

We can stop this effort to repress the antiwar movement with your help. This is part of a systematic effort to disrupt the organizing for the September 15 Mass March that is timed to coincide with the report of General Petraeus and the debate in Congress on the Iraq war.

Iraq war veterans and their families will lead this dramatic march from the White House to the Congress on September 15. The last thing the government wants is to see the streets of Washington DC fill up with throngs of anti-war protesters right in the middle of the debate. But we will not be stopped.

Organizing for this demonstration is taking place in cities and towns throughout the country. Buses and car caravans are coming from 90 cities and towns.

Please send a letter today:
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=tl4n2Kgz0PlpTa0kt8V0KA..

to Washington DC Mayor (Adrian M. Fenty) and to the Director of DC Department of Public Works (William O. Howland, Jr.) demanding an end to the fines, harassment and repression of the anti-war movement. We have a right to publicize the September 15 March. Fining the anti-war movement tens of thousands of dollars for putting up Free Speech-protected literature makes a mockery out of the First Amendment.

*****************

TAKE ACTION TO DEMAND THE FINES BE LIFTED!

The best way to take action is to call the Director of Department of Public Works, William O. Howland, Jr. at 202-673-6833, and the Mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, at 202-724-8876. You can also send a letter or fax by clicking this link
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=WEMsxW6rqJFXwjMXICAfUw..

We’d suggest saying something along the lines of:
“I am writing to protest the fines levied against the ANSWER Coalition for putting up posters for the September 15th March on Washington. The government does not fine politicians who put up campaign posters, or commercial and business interests that plaster Washington, DC with posters. It is outrageous that the city, in concert with FOXNews, are attempting to suppress the antiwar movement. Stop the harassment. Stop the fines.”

Let us know how your phone conversations go by emailing us info@internationalanswer.org

**********************

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
www.answercoalition.org
info@internationalanswer.org
National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
New York City: 212-694-8720
Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
San Francisco: 415-821-6545
Chicago: 773-463-0311

4 comments »

  1. From: Twine, Kevin (DPW)
    To: cdrew@c-drew.com
    Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 12:16 PM

    Let me be clear on a couple of things. The only connection that we have with FOX News is the fact that they did a story on poster violations which prompted DC residents to call in and complain. Once this happened, we were obligated to investigate. ANSWER was only told to take down those posters in violation. I work at this desk during local election cycles and I assure you a lot of manpower is dedicated to making sure that candidates follow the letter of the law with regards to campaign posters. The statements that the ANSWER Coalition is making with regard to normal practice here in DC is utterly false. The $10,000 figure is the result of 100+ violations.

    Please note that I am not speaking for the agency. I wanted to address you personally. I am not allowed to express personal political opinions. Suffice it to say that I would never defend taking away anyone\’s right to free speech and I honestly believe that did not happen here.

    I hope this is helpful.

    Peace,

    Kevin B. Twine/Staff Assistant/Department of Public Works

    Office of the Director/2000 14th Street, N.W./6th Floor/Washington, DC 20009

    Ph: 202-671-2593/Fx: 202-671-0642/kevin.twine@dc.gov

    Comment by cdrew — August 16, 2007 @ 4:26 pm

  2. Dear Mr. Twine,

    The problem is that out of thousands of posters you have discovered less than 10% of the posters do not meet city posting specifications and instead of charging the person who put up the offending poster you are going after an organization with fines designed to destroy this volunteer organization that serves the freedom of speech for people around the nation.

    Did you give a list of the 100 offending posters and their locations? No - you said to Answer - find them if you can or take them all down. This is aimed at our speech - not at the mistakes of a few volunteers.

    This is a political attempt at destroying opposition to the war and you are not being genuine. If you are upset with the volunteers who put up the posters that are misplaced - fine the volunteer. If you can’t find the person, use your ally - Fox News Service to talk bad about this public outrage. But fining our organization is a thinly veiled attempt to deny speech.

    Now - about the people who complained - I believe they were politically motivated. You are hiding behind them. I hope ANSWER will see you in court and the American people will know who you are and what Bush you are hiding behind.

    Also, I asked for a copy of the rules you enforce in Washington D. C. on people posting information in public. You did not send them to me. If the rules are so clear and easy to get - where are they. While you are at it, please give me a list of the other organizations and the fines you have levied against them in the past year or two. If you do not have a list of other organizations who have been fined - why is Answer the only one treated like this? I believe your laws are made to be enforced selectively and with various vigor depending on who is being attacked.

    Sincerely,
    Christopher A. Drew
    1534 W. Jonquil Terrace
    Chicago, IL 60626

    Comment by cdrew — August 16, 2007 @ 4:29 pm

  3. LETTER FROM ANSWER COALITION 8/20/07

    Dear Christopher,
    We want to extend a big thank you to you and to the thousands of other people who have called or emailed government authorities in support of the ANSWER Coalition which received $10,000 in fines yesterday. By mounting a political and legal challenge, we can succeed in defending our first amendment rights and overcome all the obstacles that are being used to try to disrupt the organizing for the September 15 Mass March on Washington, which will be led by Iraq war veterans and their families.
    We wanted to give you a quick update and provide essential information about the government’s disinformation and misinformation campaign. Some activists who have responded to the ANSWER Coalition Action Alert to “Stop Government Attacks Against the Anti-War Movement” and “Defend Free Speech” have been given misinformation when they called the DC Department of Public Works. We all know the government lies about the reasons for going to war in Iraq an action which led to the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people - so we should not be surprised when they lie about other matters.
    Below are the myths being propagated by the DC Department of Public Works and the facts about the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) regarding “Signs, Posters and Placards.”
    MYTH: Posters in DC may only be affixed to wood poles using staples.
    FACT: That is not true. The law states, “Any sign, advertisement, or poster that does not relate to the sale of goods or services may be affixed on public lampposts or appurtenances of a lamppost, subject to the restrictions set forth in this section.” What is a lamp post? The law states that “For the purposes of this section, a ‘public lamppost’ is any public post erected for the purpose of supporting electric wires.” The Notices of Violation sent to the ANSWER Coalition from the DC Department of Public Works state that they are for “posting notices on lamppost” and then include photographs of posters on traffic boxes. Therefore, DC regulations clearly state that posters may be affixed to both the light posts called lampposts and to traffic boxes.
    MYTH: The posters in question have been affixed with a permanent adhesive or one that is very time consuming and/or difficult and/or expensive to remove.
    FACT: This is a complete lie. The law states that “Signs, advertisements, or posters shall be not affixed by adhesives that prevent their complete removal from the fixture, or that do damage to the fixture.” Therefore, an adhesive can be used to affix posters as long as it does not “prevent their complete removal” or “do damage.” All posters in question have been affixed with a water-based and water-soluble paste. The posters can be quickly, easily and completely removed for free simply by adding water. Volunteers have in the past removed these posters following events and found that they are removed just as easily and quickly as they are affixed.
    MYTH: Regulations in DC are not used to target progressive organization.
    FACT: The ANSWER Coalition is being selectively targeted by the Government for entirely political reasons. Leading up to elections, politicians – including the current Mayor of DC— put up thousands of posters and proliferate DC with advertisements about their campaign. These signs hang everywhere in the city by the many dozens at intersections, on every single block, and many are plainly illegally posted including on traffic signs. But to our knowledge, these politicians are not fined or targeted. We are unaware of any other instance where there have ever been massive fines issued to shut down political speech.
    The government supports certain forms of postering and political speech, that of the politicians and approved elections. However, those who are calling for an end to the war and for the ultimate form of grassroots democracy and public participation in free speech – a mass demonstration opposing the government’s war program – are being hit with the weight of the government to stop them.
    The truth is that the government, and in this case it is a combination of the local and federal government, are acting politically and thus in an unconstitutional manner. Suddenly, on the eve of a massive anti-war demonstration scheduled for September 15 and timed to coincide with the report by General David Petraeus that will be used to justify the prolongation of a war that the country has turned against, the government is choosing to impose huge fines for literature that is being posted lawfully.
    That is why thousands of anti-war activists from around the country are sending letters, emails and making phone calls to the District of Columbia insisting that they stop the selective attack of the ANSWER Coalition and the anti-war movement. We encourage everyone to ask their friends, family members, co-workers and students to go to www.Sept15.org to participate in this important campaign and not to believe the government’s lies and justifications for their illegal and unconstitutional attempt to disrupt the September 15 organizing effort.
    We also want to increase the effort to spread the word about the September 15 Mass March on Washington. If you are in the DC area, call 202-544-3389 x14 to become a volunteer. If you are outside of DC, fill out the Literature Order Form and we will send you flyers, posters and stickers:
    http://www.pephost.org/S15literature
    We don’t own the corporate media, or have the resources of the government to get our message out – all we have is our words, our posters and flyers and our ability to assemble together in massive numbers on September 15 to have our voices heard.
    Donations to print additional materials are needed. To make an online donation through a secure server or learn how to donate with a check by mail, click here:
    http://www.pephost.org/S15donate
    Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
    In solidarity,
    Sarah Sloan
    National Staff Coordinator
    ANSWER Coalition

    Comment by cdrew — August 21, 2007 @ 9:20 am

  4. FREE SPEECH LAWSUIT FILED IN WASHINGTON DC:
    $10,000 fine challenged

    Dear Chris,

    The ANSWER Coalition today filed a major Free Speech lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia challenging anti-postering regulations that have been used to fine the organization. ANSWER has been hit with $10,000 fines in the last week.

    Stepping up its politically targeted harassment campaign, as we were announcing the lawsuit, the government served fines for posters against the landlord of the building housing ANSWER’s office. This is an unprecedented campaign against First Amendment speech and associational rights.

    The lawsuit was announced at a press conference held today at the offices of constitutional rights attorneys at the Partnership for Civil Justice (PCJ). The lawsuit can be read in its entirety by clicking this link:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=y8S_8US3OeKiriKzYDxtFA..

    The Free Speech lawsuit asserts that: The challenged regulations create a hierarchy of speech, allowing broad freedom to post on subjects related to elections or crime prevention, but sharply restricting — and penalizing with massive fines — those who post on grassroots political issues. The legal challenge arose in response to the issuance of fines against the ANSWER Coalition for $10,000 because that anti-war organization had used posters urging the public to “March to Stop the War” and to attend the national September 15, 2007, march in Washington, called by ANSWER and led by Iraq war veterans.

    The press conference was an example of the broad support for the September 15 March on Washington DC which will be led by Iraq war veterans and their families.

    In this email you can watch and listen to the presentations of the speakers and the see some of the extensive media coverage of this unfolding fight.

    The government’s attempt to disrupt the organizing for September 15 has backfired. Support is coming in from all over the country. More than ninety organizing centers are bringing people from their area to Washington DC. Go to www.Sept15.org.

    www.Sept15.org:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=I25igI2PA0beArVo_575zQ..

    ————————-

    Mara Verheyden-Hilliard,
    Attorney and Co-founder, Partnership for Civil Justice

    Audio
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=0zqInwUq-BFjnOop_uCXjg..

    Video
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=rAB0_qsDLwgzVaQGYcbZuw..

    ————————-

    Carl Messineo,
    Attorney and Co-founder, Partnership for Civil Justice

    Audio
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=HojmVAJJEJI_DxxxjyIS2w..

    Video
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=eXlgQOVNQBwWz29E1ERshg..

    ————————-

    Eugene Puryear,
    Howard University student;
    National Coordinator, Youth and Student A.N.S.W.E.R.

    Audio
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=9qaogQpKe8Uvn9PUoD84hg..

    Video
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=GHcIRcaejizslKh9zQ2eCA..

    Written statement
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=G-nWXmeKoW5N6VekSpMs4A..

    ————————-

    Tina Richards,
    CEO of Grassroots America and mother of Iraq war veteran Cloy Richards

    Audio
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=7hYLdQctgnOef-kuSHqoSg..

    Video
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=zw0EEv0Q09jdPoZx8K0QJg..

    ————————-

    Phil Portluck,
    Social justice activist in Washington DC

    Audio
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=1xitsVzyshOGMsIDrFyRuA..

    Video
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=_p8Q_ZMRV-ZGV418WSy8gQ..

    ————————-

    Jihan Hafiz,
    A.N.S.W.E.R. student organizer

    Audio
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=4zu4Kq6QR2fopZufiyw-Cg..

    Video
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=__A69mN5P95YZo9buJqjOA..

    ————————-

    Sarah Sloan
    National Staff Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition

    Audio excerpt
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=HVWJcBGPzO399KnqIZQDFg..

    Video excerpt
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=7lZcebAHHPJXC-o1M3ySfQ..

    What are the facts?
    Statement by the ANSWER Coalition at the
    press conference held in Washington DC on August 20, 2007:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=USHvMIPab4Rdo2bqirNAiA..

    ————————-

    View the Fox 5 DC News coverage from Thursday, August 16:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=taZ5nXTN1iZyckRqIPZqyw..

    Read a Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post from Monday, August 20:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=TZXV8WvNc0P477WeNVLOvg..

    ————————-

    ~ PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TODAY ~

    Please make an urgently needed donation today. We must immediately raise funds to pay for buses, posters, leaflets, stickers, sound, stage and the many other expenses associated with a mass, grassroots organizing campaign. We have succeeded in making this movement grow because of the financial donations from you and thousands of others. Please make a much needed online donation, or learn how you can contribute by check, by clicking this link now:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=Fz9LsTaq60hqOib6H6wTYQ..

    Be sure to check to make a donation today by clicking this link:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=ysZUbXhzxbubHv5UujoFjA..

    **********************

    A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
    www.answercoalition.org
    info@internationalanswer.org
    National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
    New York City: 212-694-8720
    Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
    San Francisco: 415-821-6545
    Chicago: 773-463-0311

    If this message was forwared to you and you’d like to receive future ANSWER updates, click here:
    http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=uiUide9dmydvgQ6XxwlNcg..

    Comment by cdrew — August 21, 2007 @ 9:23 am

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image: detail of installation by Bronwyn Lace