Under an initiative that the New York Police Department has proposed, permits will be needed for many new things, such as field trips, according to an op-ed by the NYCLU. Current regulations require only that people marching in a public roadway or using amplified sound on a sidewalk or public park get a permit. Under the proposed regulations, however, 35 or more people on a sidewalk, any roadway procession with 20 or more vehicles and/or bicycles, or two or more people using a roadway "in a manner that does not comply with all applicable traffic laws, rules and regulations," needs a permit to do so.
If you jaywalk, do it alone or you could be arrested for parading without a permit. If you're planning a field trip for a class at one of NYC's underfunded schools, make sure to split the class apart into groups less than 35 people, or your earth science class could be arrested walking into the museum. Funeral processions apparently present a similar risk to our national security, and also would require a permit. If the White House was in NYC, the procession to the White House for inauguration would require a permit, too.
If this initiative took effect, it would put an end to small, often quickly planned or completely unplanned protests that respond to recent events. These marches and rallies are not a threat to anyone, but the initiative is a threat to civil rights.
Getting a permit isn't easy, for the person getting one or the person issuing it. Surely the NYPD has more important things to do than investigate the true agenda behind field trips.
Tags: Politics, Current Events, Current Affairs, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, First Amendment, Protest Permit, NYPD, NYCLU
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