Transgender Group Wins Permit in Settlement with City!
Just got a phone call, Transgender Group The Audre Lorde Project is getting their permit to parade in the streets on Friday. The group settled with the city at the last minute before a Federal Judge was going to hear arguments this morning. The NYPD had denied their permit for the second year in a row, so the group dragged the NYPD into court yesterday. In a phone call with the groups counsel David Rankin, he and the group seemed very pleased with the terms, that they had won most of what they were fighting for.
Participants will gather on 40th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 22nd; the March will begin begin at 5:30 p.m. It will then take the sidewalk southbound on Ninth Avenue to 28th Street. At 28th Street, the parade will be then routed to a parking lane, and it will continue on that parking lane east to Second Avenue, crossing Second Avenue and then turn northbound on Second Avenue to 30th Street on the east side sidewalk of Second Avenue. At 30th street the parade will then go east on the sidewalk of 30th Street to First Avenue. It's going to remain on the sidewalk on First Avenue going south to 29th Street where there will be a momentary pause and then going west on 29th Street where the event will then be put on to a parking lane on 29th Street to the west side of Park Avenue. The participants will be on the sidewalk on Park Avenue going south to 25th Street, where they'll then be placed on a parking lane and they'll be walking in the parking lane on 25th Street to Madison Square Park. The event will conclude with a rally in Madison Park.
The group had to give up a stop at an infamous McDonalds on 5th avenue. Parading on 5th Avenue was a non-started for the city since it is already embroiled in a lawsuit over its decision to limit parades on 5th avenue to existing parades. Had the city agreed in this case to allow the group to parade on 5th it would have completely undermined its bigger lawsuit. This does point up how lame the city's limit on 5th Avenue parades is. It also points up what a problem it is to have the NYPD handling parade permitting. They don't seem to have stood a chance in court which is why the city finally came to an agreement. So aggrieved parties can win in court, but this is a very high burden for groups to face to exercise their first amendment rights.
The Route
Based on the court transcript:Participants will gather on 40th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 22nd; the March will begin begin at 5:30 p.m. It will then take the sidewalk southbound on Ninth Avenue to 28th Street. At 28th Street, the parade will be then routed to a parking lane, and it will continue on that parking lane east to Second Avenue, crossing Second Avenue and then turn northbound on Second Avenue to 30th Street on the east side sidewalk of Second Avenue. At 30th street the parade will then go east on the sidewalk of 30th Street to First Avenue. It's going to remain on the sidewalk on First Avenue going south to 29th Street where there will be a momentary pause and then going west on 29th Street where the event will then be put on to a parking lane on 29th Street to the west side of Park Avenue. The participants will be on the sidewalk on Park Avenue going south to 25th Street, where they'll then be placed on a parking lane and they'll be walking in the parking lane on 25th Street to Madison Square Park. The event will conclude with a rally in Madison Park.
The group had to give up a stop at an infamous McDonalds on 5th avenue. Parading on 5th Avenue was a non-started for the city since it is already embroiled in a lawsuit over its decision to limit parades on 5th avenue to existing parades. Had the city agreed in this case to allow the group to parade on 5th it would have completely undermined its bigger lawsuit. This does point up how lame the city's limit on 5th Avenue parades is. It also points up what a problem it is to have the NYPD handling parade permitting. They don't seem to have stood a chance in court which is why the city finally came to an agreement. So aggrieved parties can win in court, but this is a very high burden for groups to face to exercise their first amendment rights.
List Blogs
