councilor.org
| Source | Stephanie Phibbs |
| Date | 99/06/05/15:40 |
| URGENT ACTION NEEDED: permit denied June 1, 1999 In an outrageous effort to suppress the June 5 anti-war March on the Pentagon, the police authorities have denied a permit to march on the streets to the Pentagon. We are launching a massive political and media campaign to demand the right of the protest to march in the streets of Virginia. We believe the White House and the Pentagon are colluding with local police agencies in this effort. We are appealing to all those who believe in free speech and especially to those who oppose the war in Yugoslavia to assist us in a phone, fax, and email campaign to protect the first amendment rights of all those who plan to participate in the June 5 March on the Pentagon. With just three days to go before the June 5 March on the Pentagon, the Arlington County Police have denied the June 5th demonstration the right to march on a small stretch of Virginia roadway between the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, located in Washington DC, and the Pentagon building, located in Virginia. This is an arbitrary and political decision. It is an outrageous attempt to violate the first amendment right to free speech. It is an attempt to either stop the June 5th March on the Pentagon or to create a chaotic situation at the demonstration. While denying the right of the marchers to the roadways leading to the Pentagon, police authorities are trying to reroute the march into a narrow and dangerous bike trail that at points becomes a single-file line, crossing a major highway. The police know that this is not a safe or tenable route for a march of ten thousand or more. The Arlington County Police refuse to return phone calls from the organizers and attorneys of the June 5 march. The June 5 demonstration is the largest mobilization to date against the U.S./NATO war in Yugoslavia. We believe that it is impossible for the county of Arlington police to unilaterally try to prevent us from carrying out an orderly demonstration. We hold the Clinton White House and Virginia Governor James Gilmore responsible for this flagrant violation of our rights. We will not be stopped. The war in Yugoslavia has killed thousands of innocent civilians. We will not allow the U.S. authorities to stop the anti-war movement from exercising its rights. Please immediately phone and/or fax to the following authorities an angry protest against the denial of our rights to march on the streets to the Pentagon. Tell the authorities, we demand the right to march on Route 27 to the Pentagon. Please phone and/or fax to the following: (1) White House--phone: (202) 456-1414, fax: (202) 456-2461, email: president@whitehouse.gov (2) Justice Department/Attorney General Janet Reno--phone: (202) 514-2000 (Dept. of Justice, ask for Janet Reno), fax: (202) 514-0323 (3) Gov. James Gilmore, Virginia--phone: (804) 786-2211, fax: (804) 371-6351 (4) Arlington County Police--phone: (703) 228-4252, (703) 558-2222; fax: (703) 228-4127, (703) 228-4192 |
Copyright (c) 1998, Joongpil Cho