[*BCM*] NYC [Fwd: A(n important) triviality?]

[Anne Wolfe]

I think the ACLU would be loathe to get involved.  If 50 people decide to go around the same block at the same time, whether in cars, on bikes or on foot or on horses, you'd be hard pressed not to call it a parade.  In the interests of public safety the cities have seen fit to regulate it, including asking for routes in advance, covering costs on damage and extra police protection, etc because while all have the rights to use the roads, the inconvenience of some people at having traffic blocked and the safety issues of people running red lights etc is considered a legitimate state interest.
 
If the law regarding permitting, etc is then applied arbitrarily or discriminatorily, then that's an action that the ACLU will get involved in.  The fact that CM is an ethos with no prior route or anyone wanting to take accountability for the rest of the group doesn't excuse it from the rest of the laws, and at that point the police catch who they can.  The fact that they know when CM is starting out and where doesn't hurt in tracking the group down.
 
Note: I'm not saying I thought the police actions were right, I'm j ust telling you where the law stands and why I'd be suprised if the ACLU wanted to get involved.

Thomas John Vitolo <tjvitolo at bu.edu> wrote:

> =v= How to get justice? Apparently it involves raising tens
> of thousands of dollars to hire lawyers to instruct the NYPD
> to obey the Constitution.

We can't get some cycle-loving attorneys in NYC, plus the ACLU or some other
civil liberties group, to get on board with this? Have we tried?





Thomas John Vitolo
Ph D Systems Engineering Candidate,
Boston University

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