Do you need a permit to protest?

by Ed Felien
published July 7 2008

The first Amendment to the Constitution guarantees “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

No City Council or Park Board can arbitrarily assign those rights by lottery or deny them to any group.

The Daily Planet, a web magazine, reported on June 26, “Mick Kelly, who applied for a permit on behalf of the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera, argues that the rebel leader was actually kidnapped by the U.S. government. ‘We would like to lay this issue at the door of the Republican Party,’ he says. ‘The Republican Party has stood for war in Colombia and we are opposed to U.S. intervention there.’ “Unfortunately, Kelly’s application to hold a rally at Hamm’s Plaza on Sept. 1 was denied. He believes the city is unfairly and unnecessarily restricting public gatherings during the RNC. ‘Basically the entire process for granting permits is cr*p,’ he says. ‘The five spots and the lottery itself is part of an attempt by the city to put a window dressing of fairness on a process that’s very unfair.’”

No, Mick, you’re wrong.

It’s illegal, unconstitutional and unfair!