A.N.S.W.E.R. DENOUCES GOVERNMENT BAN ON FEBRUARY 15 PEACE  MARCH IN NEW YORK

A.N.S.W.E.R. denounces Federal Judge Barbara Jones's  refusal to grant a march permit for the huge February 15  peace march in New York City as a dangerous and  politically-motivated assault on the movement's most basic  right to freedom of speech and assembly.

The New York City Police claim that they won't allow the  march on Feb. 15 in New York because of security concerns.  For months the police have been routinely invoking  "security concerns" as a reason to deny march permits for  political demonstrations, large and small, but not for  other assemblies and huge parades that don't have a  political point of view in opposition to government  policies. The right to join together with thousands of  other individuals in common cause and march on our streets  is a unique and powerful form of political expression no  less important than speech, and it is fully protected by  the Constitution. We demand that the courts reject the  "security" pretext used to deny the march permit for Feb.  15, and to deny other marches.

The real reason that New York City Mayor Bloomberg, the  police and the courts are trying to ban the anti-war march  is because Feb. 15 is going to be a powerful international  day of protest against the war on Iraq and the United  States government. The security concerns they really have  are not a threat of "terrorism" but the threat posed to  Bush's political agenda. Fearful of the political impact  of the march the government is trying to suppress the  event.

The peace movement, along with everyone who is threatened  by this outrageous violation of the rights of protestors,  must fight the march ban. A.N.S.W.E.R. joins with all  other groups in fighting for and exercising our right to  march in New York on Feb. 15, and in any other city where  the antiwar movement chooses to take to the streets in  order to stop the war.

For all of those who are planning to join the many feeder  marches to the rally, we encourage everyone to stay strong  and defy the city and federal government's attempts to  discourage participation. The most important thing is that  people come out in large numbers to show the country and  the world that the people of the United States are  mobilizing in opposition to a war of aggression.

The court system, working in cahoots with the police and  the Bush administration, is attempting to discourage  people's efforts to exercise their First Amendment Right  on February 15. The best way, again, to oppose this is to  come to the demonstration.

The New York City demonstration on Saturday, February 15  will assemble on 1st Ave. starting at 49th St. and going  north. The permitted rally will begin at 12 noon.

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