Kelly turns up heat on GOP protesters with 'final offer'

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/212156p-182725c.html

City officials on Wednesday turned up the pressure on anti-war protesters to finalize plans for a massive rally on the eve of the Republican National Convention.

"We need to resolve this now," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a Police Headquarters news conference.

The group, United for Peace and Justice, has sought a permit for 250,000 people to rally on the Great Lawn in Central Park on Aug. 29. Parks and police officials have put the Great Lawn off limits, instead offering a plan allowing demonstrators to march past Madison Square Garden on Seventh Avenue, then rally on a highway on the west side of Manhattan.

"This is our final offer," Kelly said. ?It is, we believe, a reasonable alternative." Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe backed Kelly by claiming that a massive anti-war rally could cause extensive damage to the Great Lawn.



If NYC really wanted to have peaceful demonstrations, maybe they shouldn't be so worried about their precious lawn. They certainly don't seem to worry about it too much when someone famous wants to do a free concert there.

[stopbush]

1. The Great Lawn regularly withstands TONS of human traffic.

It's the site of concerts that draw hundreds of thousands of people - The Met in the Parks, NY Phil, Simon & Garfunkel. Odds are that the RNC protesters would do a lot LESS damage to the Great Lawn than the typical concert crowd, ie: no one will be parking their asses on plastic sheeting and grazing on food & wine for a 4-hour stretch of time.

Plus, this ain't the pristine Sheep Meadow. Many areas of the Great Lawn are dirt. Take a stroll through the GL on a typical fall day and the thing is being chewed up by sandlot football games, rain or shine.

NYC/Kelly/Blomberg's concerns are absolute BS.

[BillZBubb]

2. They're more interested in protecting the Bush* than the grass.

Gosh, I wonder if all future concert requests will be disallowed as well? Typical RW bullshit.

[FlemingsGhost]

3. Ummmm ... Commissioner Kelly? There will be a million of us.

I believe we will be making the "final offer."

You won't stop us, so stop trying. You look foolish.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. That's why it's insane

not to allow the protesters to use Central Park. It is the only place in the city, that will be able to accommodate so many people safely.

Unfortunately, Kelly and Bloomberg are too busy being paranoid, to make rational decisions.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. Wannajumpmyscooter makes a final offer to Kelly

Kiss our million-ass march, MF!

[Elginoid]

5. that's gotta be , like- 2 million cheeks...

Somebody is gonna end up with really chapped lips.

[REVOLT823]

7. I hope its more than a million, shut the whole damn city down

I am from Indianapolis, IN and my friend and I have been discussing going, think its going to be something historic to participate in and see.

[Jerseygirltoo]

8. Leslie Kagan's got his number

She's the head of UFPJ, and Kelly is a creep. Even the right wing papers in NY are in favor of allowing the rally in the Park. Trying to do it out on the streets would gridlock Manhattan.
I want to say to all the folks coming in from outside the area, don't let them scare you off with stories about anarchy and violence.
We have a right to be there.