I dont remember the Syracuse Post-Standard being a particularly lefty newspaper when I was there, but it seems to be giving more play to this story than most of the media.
There’s a peace march scheduled in New York City today. But it will be more like a peace standstill. Unlike the 602 cities around the globe where protesters plan to march together to protest a war on Iraq, New York authorities won’t allow it.
The Bloomberg administration made the decision well before last week’s heightened security alert. A federal three-judge panel affirmed it – even though The New York Times reported a police commander told a federal judge that he had no reason to expect violence.
The Homeland Security Department alerted the country that there’s a possible threat, but urged Americans to go on with our lives. Anyone considering marching with 100,000 other people can decide for themselves whether to take the risk.
But there’s more to it than that. The Bush administration – which is in the midst of trying to sell the war to the public – filed a brief urging the judges to uphold denial of the permit. And the Bloomberg administration has no intention of forcing a St. Patrick’s Day standstill instead of a parade – even though it’s bigger and likely more raucous.
“The court bought, hook, line and sinker, the undifferentiated-fear factor,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, which argued marches are a vital form of free speech.
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a speaker at the rally said, “I really cannot believe that a major city in the leading democracy in the world can refuse people this particular right.”
Indeed.
Link, of course, via Atrios, who is in particuarly fine form today. I could repost every one of his stories, but it might be more efficient to just recommend you head over there.