From United for Peace & Justice:
Dear friend,
Next Tuesday, September 19, President George Bush will be addressing the United Nations in defense of the disastrous Iraq War. United for Peace and Justice has planned a peaceful march and rally to voice our opposition and call for the troops to come home.
Yesterday we met with the New York Police Department, who informed us they will not allow any marches near the United Nations that day. In fact, they said they would not allow any marches east of Park Avenue, south of 52nd Street, or north of the mid 30s.
The police are invoking “security concerns” to justify shunting us so far away from the site of Bush’s speech that we might as well be in another borough. We wouldn’t just be out of earshot and out of visual range — we’d be many long blocks away. Is this what democracy looks like?
We were completely willing to discuss a range of reasonable march routes, but the NYPD refused. Their only proposals were for marches far from the UN or a slot for a short rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, among at least eight other organizations working on an array of issues.
This is another in a long line of actions by the New York City Police Department — and the federal government — that undermine our right to dissent. Time and time again, United for Peace and Justice has had to fight to exercise our basic right to peaceful protest. They tried to stop us from rallying in the lead-up to the Iraq War. They tried to sideline our protest against the Republican National Convention to the sun-baked West Side Highway.
We didn’t back down then, and we’re not backing down now. United for Peace and Justice is determined to have the strongest possible antiwar presence on the streets of New York City on September 19 while Bush speaks at the UN. We know this is a workday, but we urge you if you possibly can to make plans to join us in the streets.
If you can make it to New York on September 19th to join this protest, I urge you to do so. If you cannot, please consider a donation to the UFPJ. They’re good people.
September 19th Protest March in New York
Stand up to Bush at the UN – March and Rally
