Philadelphia is preparing for protests in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention -- local leaders hope to keep them peaceful and permitted.
Philadelphia officials say they will respect the First Amendment rights of all protesters during the Democratic National Convention, but they are sticking with requirements that all demonstrators have permits.
"There is no intended 'crackdown' on un-permitted protesting," City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante wrote in a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. The letter, dated June 17, was in response to the ACLU's concerns about how the protests would be handled.
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected at the July 25-28 convention...
When asked to provide details on how the city would handle protests without permits, Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Kenney, said no protesters will be arrested solely because they don't have a permit.
Scott Williams, an organizer with the International Action Center, said his group applied for permits to march but won't be deterred if its applications are rejected.
"The First Amendment is our permit," he said.
The city wants to avoid a repeat of 2000 when it arrested more than 400 protesters at the Republican National Convention, only to see most cases end in acquittals.
Earlier this month, a City Council committee passed legislation letting police issue $100 civil fines rather than make criminal arrests for many nuisance crimes. The offenses include disorderly conduct, blocking a street and failing to heed a request to disperse.
Original source: The Associated Press via
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