Kit Bland writes
Friends of Freedom and FreeWheels

Please contact your City Council member immediately!

The U.S. Constitution is under attack in New York City. The City is refusing to grant permits for highly precedented peaceful demonstrations. According to the New York Times, The House Judiciary Committee this week has called for "immediate federal scrutiny" of "troubling reports" of police misconduct and perjury--including doctoring video footage-- in connection with the arrest and prosecution of hundreds of demonstrators during the Republican National Convention. The City has limited the number of permits granted for large gatherings in Central Park to six per year. And to date in 2005, nearly 60 bicyclists have been arrested while taking part in a peaceful monthly group bicycle ride––a legal ride that for ten years was escorted by the NYPD!

It is time to speak up. Still We Speak! is having a free speech rally this Friday night at Union Square South, 5:30 pm. We encourage anyone concerned about the erosion of the rights afforded them by the Constitution of the United States to attend the free speech rally; show the city that repression will not be tolerated. (After much stalling on the part of city officials, a permit has been granted for this event).

At the bottom of this page, you will find information on how to contact your City Council member. Please fax or call them; (emails are ubiquitous and will be lost in the shuffle). Please include the following information:

1. Invite them to the Still We Speak! free speech rally
, this Friday, April 29, 5:30 pm, Union Square south. 2. Tell them how you feel about the repression of your rights by the City of New York.
3. Encourage them to support the proposed legislative reform efforts around public gatherings
4. Invite them to stay and watch for themselves as bicyclists depart in the monthly Critical Mass ride, leaving Union Square north that night, at 7:30 pm.

Please invite the following six City Council Members to attend the rally. In addition, find and invite your own city council member. Find their contact information by dialing 3-1-1.

  Or visit

Margarita Lopez
Represents: Lower East Side, East Village, Gramercy Park, Rosehill, Kips Bay; southern part of Murry Hill
District: 2
District Office Phone No.: (212) 614-8751
Fax Phone No.: (212) 614-8813
Manhattan Office Phone No.: (212) 788-7366

Charles Barron
Represents: Parts of East New York, Brownsville, East Flatbush, Canarsie
District: 42
District Office Phone No.: (718) 649-9495/9496
Fax Phone No.: (718) 649-3111
Manhattan Office Phone No.: (212) 788-6957
Email: barron@council.nyc.ny.us

David Yassky
Represents: Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint; parts of Williamsburg, Park Slope, Boerum Hill
District: 33
District Office Phone No.: (718) 875-5200
Fax Phone No.: (718) 643-6620
Manhattan Office Phone No.: (212) 788-7348
Email: yassky@council.nyc.ny.us

Christine C. Quinn
Represents: Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Clinton; parts of Soho, Murray Hill
District: 3
District Office Phone No.: (212) 564-7757
Fax Phone No.: (212)564-7347
Manhattan Office Phone No.: (212) 788-6979
Email: quinn@council.nyc.ny.us

Bill Perkins
Represents: Central Harlem; parts of Morningside Heights, Upper West Side, East Harlem
District: 9
District Office Phone No.: (212) 662-4440
Fax Phone No.: (212) 932-1130
Manhattan Office Phone No.: (212) 788-7397
Email: perkins@council.nyc.ny.us

Gifford Miller
Represents: Beekman, Sutton Place, Upper East Side, Yorkville, Roosevelt Island; part of Turtle Bay, Carnegie Hill
District: 5
District Office Phone No.: (212) 535-5554
Fax Phone No.: (212) 535-6098
Manhattan Office Phone No.: (212) 788-7210
Email: miller@council.nyc.ny.us

Thank you.

The Ad-hoc Committee for Still We Speak!
Kit Bland [(347) 675-4660, webmaster@bicycledefensefund.org]
Peter Meitzler
Caroline Samponaro
Steve Stollman

http://stillwespeak.org
info@stillwespeak.org

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.