Anti-War Protest Group Fined $10,000
Nathan Burchfiel-Staff Writer
(CNSNews.com) – The anti-war activist group Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) faces a $10,000 fine from the city of Washington if it fails to remove thousands of fliers it has posted to advertise a September anti-war march.
“They have told us that we have 72 hours to remove every poster, or the fines will go into effect,” the group said in a statement Tuesday. “Tens of thousands of dollars in additional fines are expected in the coming days.”
The group accuses “Bush’s Interior Department” of using “intimidation tactics to slow our outreach or silence” the antiwar movement.
“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 Patraeus and the debate in Congress on the Iraq War,” the statement said, referring to a progress report set to be delivered by the commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq.
Ms. Grant,
Having posted the following article on http://www.ImpeachforPeace.org and entitling it:
Fascism is alive and well in Washington DC
http://impeachforpeace.org/impeach_bush_blog/?p=3125
I have a few questions for you:
1). Have these regulations always been followed TO THE LETTER in all previous cases, or if not, have the violators been as aggressively prosecuted?
2). Was this action initiated by your offices or were there orders “from above” to deal with this issue in this way?
3). Do you feel our Constitutional liberties and freedoms are intact or have they been compromised during the Bush Presidency?
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.
Sincerely,
Mikael Rudolph
Editor/Co-Founder – http://www.ImpeachforPeace.org
(612) 302-9252
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: LINDA GRANT
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 (202) 671-2375/desk
(202) 497-1080/cell
[email protected]
DPW STATEMENT REGARDING FINES LEVIED FOR IMPROPERLY POSTED ANTI-WAR POSTERS
*
DC regulations (DCMR Title 24, Section 108) provide guidelines
for posting signs in public space. The regulations balance free speech
with keeping the city neat by: 1. supporting the right to free speech
by giving people access to public space to express themselves; and 2.
Keeping the public space from appearing cluttered by limiting the
number of signs per block. The District hosts marches and protests all
the time and we never weigh in on the merits of the issues, rather our
role is to keep the city neat.
*
DPW asks people to respect District of Columbia residents by
following the guidelines.
*
These posters were improperly placed for the following reasons:
o
More than three signs were posted on one side of a block,
the guidelines limit the number to three. (108.10)
o
The posters were placed on more than lampposts, which is
the only place where they are allowed. (100, which says if the site is
not mentioned, posters cannot be placed there.)
o
The posters were fixed to lampposts and utility boxes
using an adhesive, which is not allowed. The larger posters are taking
20 to 30 minutes to remove. (108.9)
o
The posters do not provide the date they were placed. (108.7)
o
No one filed two copies of the materials with the Mayor’s
DC government designee (Office of Surface Permits). The filing should
be made within 24 hours of posting each sign and include the name,
address, and telephone number of the posters’ originator. (108.11)