Anti-War Group Fined for Free Speech - Take Action

AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!!

Unity and solidarity in the face of government repression and right wing threats is our greatest strength and our best defense..

The ANSWER Coalition has put out an alert regarding the heavy fines in Washington DC for postering and the threats by right-wing and fascist organizations against anti-war march scheduled for Sept 15 and other actions taking place in DC. These threats are not only a danger to ANSWER Coalition but to the whole progressive movement.

Troops Out Now, who is organizing a major March in DC on Saturday, September 29 and a week-long Encampment in front of Congress from Sept 22 to 29, calls upon the movement to take the threats on the ANSWER Coalition seriously and to respond with demands to end to the fines, harassment and repression on the anti-war movement.

ANSWER in their e-mails and on their web site: www.answercoalition.org has stated that: “the best way to take action is to call the Director of Department of Public Works, William O. Howland, Jr. at 202-673-6833, and the Mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, at 202-724-8876

They suggests saying something along the lines of: "I am writing to protest the fines levied against the ANSWER Coalition for putting up posters for the September 15th March on Washington. The government does not fine politicians who put up campaign posters, or commercial and business interests that plaster Washington, DC with posters. It is outrageous that the city, in concert with FOXNews, are attempting to suppress the antiwar movement. Stop the harassment. Stop the fines."

ANSWER's latest email sent out today states:

The ANSWER Coalition today filed a major Free Speech lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia challenging anti-postering regulations that have been used to fine the organization. ANSWER has been hit with $10,000 fines in the last week.

Stepping up its politically targeted harassment campaign, as we were announcing the lawsuit, the government served fines for posters against the landlord of the building housing ANSWER's office. This is an unprecedented campaign against First Amendment speech and associational rights.

The lawsuit was announced at a press conference held today at the offices of constitutional rights attorneys at the Partnership for Civil Justice (PCJ). The lawsuit can be read in its entirety by clicking this link.

The Free Speech lawsuit asserts that:

The challenged regulations create a hierarchy of speech, allowing broad freedom to post on subjects related to elections or crime prevention, but sharply restricting -- and penalizing with massive fines -- those who post on grassroots political issues. The legal challenge arose in response to the issuance of fines against the ANSWER Coalition for $10,000 because that anti-war organization had used posters urging the public to "March to Stop the War" and to attend the national September 15, 2007, march in Washington, called by ANSWER and led by Iraq war veterans.

The press conference was an example of the broad support for the September 15 March on Washington DC which will be led by Iraq war veterans and their families.

In this email you can watch and listen to the presentations of the speakers and the see some of the extensive media coverage of this unfolding fight.

The government's attempt to disrupt the organizing for September 15 has backfired. Support is coming in from all over the country. More than ninety organizing centers are bringing people from their area to Washington DC. Go to www.Sept15.org.

Read the rest of ANSWER's email, click here