New York Cops Must Aid Access To Protests, Judge Rules

Crain's New York

Responding to a lawsuit by the New York Civil Liberties Union, a federal
judge ruled that the city Police Department cannot conduct blanket
searches of bags at demonstrations unless it has reason to suspect a
specific threat, and must make it easier for people to gain access to
demonstration sites.U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet said that the department must notify
people about how to access demonstration sites if it plans on closing
streets and sidewalks, and must make reasonable efforts to allow entry and
exit to "pens" — four-sided enclosures created with interlocking metal
barricades. The plaintiffs said protesters' free speech rights were
limited in the pre-Iraq-war march of February 2003, when the NYPD
implemented strict access policies for "pens" and did not share
information about street closings.

The judge also forbade blanket searches of bags at demonstrations unless
the police have shown reason to suspect a specific threat. The
interdiction does not affect bag searches from the outside with
magnetometers.

The police have argued that the threat of terrorism will require tight
security at the Republican National Convention, slated to take place from
Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.