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ACLU Launches 24-Hour Hot Line to Assist FTAA Protesters, Issues "Rights of Protesters" Pamphlets
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November 13, 2003
MIAMI - The Greater Miami Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union today announced it will be distributing "Rights of Protesters" brochures and launching a 24-hour hot line to help protesters navigate their way through peaceful demonstrations during the upcoming ministerial meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).
Through the local hot line, which will operate from Sunday, November 16 through Saturday, November 22, the ACLU will inform people about their First Amendment rights and provide legal assistance, including attorney referrals, in English and Spanish. Individuals are encouraged to call the 24-hour hot line, 305-461-1461, to lodge a complaint or report any incident involving FTAA-related civil rights violations.
"We've seen a tremendous crackdown on dissent since September 11, 2001, and we don't expect the upcoming FTAA protests to be any different," said Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, President of the ACLU's Greater Miami Chapter. "It's important that citizens and non-citizens alike understand their rights when expressing themselves in public, especially when they are being questioned or stopped by police."
The pamphlet, entitled, "Rights of Protesters", contains useful information on organizing demonstrations and outlines the types of activities that are protected under the First Amendment, such as wearing a mask while protesting, drumming, dancing or chanting. The ACLU will be working with local community groups to distribute 10,000 brochures, which are available free of charge to the public.
"The ACLU supports the right of everyone, whether you are for or against the FTAA, to be seen and heard during these upcoming ministerial meetings," said Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida. "We urge everyone who is coming to Miami to carry the ACLU's 'Rights of Protesters' brochure, which informs people of their rights in case of arrest and offers information and advice for demonstrators."
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to pour into Miami to protest the upcoming FTAA meetings. As a result, the City of Miami plans to implement unusually tight security measures, some of which restrict where and how protesters can voice their opposition.
For the past several months, the ACLU has been an outspoken critic of the City of Miami's proposed ordinance entitled "Parade and Assembly Prohibitions," arguing the draft law unfairly singles out a small group of FTAA protesters and tramples on the free speech rights of the majority of demonstrators, whom city officials acknowledge will be peaceful. In a letter transmitted to members of the Miami City Commission, the ACLU said that the proposed law is fundamentally flawed because it "criminalizes objects instead of actions" by banning the use of materials that are widely used to make props for protests. City commissioners passed on first reading a revised version of the ordinance, outlawing objects that include water balloons, water guns and some materials used to make puppets and floats. A final vote is expected on Nov. 13.
The brochures, available from the ACLU of Florida state office in Miami, can be obtained by submitting a request in writing to: Alessandra Soler Meetze, Communications Director, ACLU of Florida, 4500 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 340, Miami, Florida 33137. You may submit your request via e-mail at: asoler@aclufl.org. Or you can click here to download the brochure in Adobe Acrobat/PDF format.
