Friday’s First Amendment rally at Union Square
Please join the Filmmaker/Photographer contingent at this Friday’s First Amendment rally at Union Square. Recently proposed regulations seriously threaten the rights of photographers and filmmakers to operate in NYC, and they could go into effect as soon as this August. Other laws already restrict our rights to parade, dance, meet, bike, shout, and assemble.
Join performance artists Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Critical Mass bike riders, and Picture New York — a new coalition of concerned filmmakers and photographers, for a festive and un-permitted celebration of the First Amendment.
Friday, July 27, 6:30pm
Union Square, north end
Press Conference and Creative Rally
Bring: marching bands, gospel choirs, props and signs, cameras, projections, bikes, YOU and YOUR FRIENDS, and the 44 sweet words of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Upload: photos and videos of the rally or of your First Amendment feelings to YouTube and Flickr and tag them “camerawars” and “pictureny”. Send links to the Mayor’s office at jcho@film.nyc.gov and us at info@picturenewyork.org.
Why now? Recently proposed regulations by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Broadcasting, and Theater could severely restrict the ability of even casual photographers and filmmakers to operate in New York City. A group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour (including setup and breakdown time) could be required to get a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance. The public comment period has been extended to August 3rd, but the regulations could soon go into effect thereafter.
Please take action before August 3rd:
1) Click here to email comments to the Mayor’s Film Office and the City Council committee that oversees them.
2) Upload videos and photos. Post your NY works or works about these rules on YouTube, tag them “PictureNewYork” and “CameraWars”. Send links to jcho@film.nyc.gov and to info@pictureny.org.
3) Click here to sign a petition.
4) Join the spectacle at Union Square on Friday at 6:30pm to add to the image of New Yorkers celebrating their rights to free speech and assembly.
According to the NYCLU, “these regulations violate the First Amendment right to photograph in public places, and open the door to selective and discriminatory enforcement.” And they are a part of a broader continuum of attacks on our rights, including laws and regulations regarding meeting, filming, shouting, biking, parading, and dancing which, taken together comprise a serious threat to our freedom as well as our ability to defend that freedom.
At Union Square almost one month ago, before a Critical Mass bike ride, Reverend Billy was arrested for reciting the First Amendment. The charge? Harassment of the NYPD. The story ran in press outlets around the world. This headline-grabbing and constitutionally questionable arrest, and the recently proposed filming regulations, suggest that this is a perfect time to throw a party, First Amendment-style, for the press and the people of New York City…
See you then!
“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.”
- posted Mon., Jul 23, 2007 at 6:06pm
- filed in Events
- [7] Comments
July 26th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Endangered freedom of expression…
I happen to be editing video this morning, getting an Art City video podcast ready for all of you before…
July 27th, 2007 at 12:24 am
One more blow to democracy..
I grew up in Apartheid South Africa. Among the many heinous attributes of that society was the enforced suppression of free speech. South Africa pre-1994 was was facist police state and so repression and censorship were to be expected. I am therefore horrified by the erosion of civil liberties since Bush took office in 2000.
I came to the USA to get away from South Africa and hopefully live in a country relatively free of restriction on civil liberties.
The irony is that Post Apartheid South Africa has a constitution internationally recognized for its emphasis on civil liberties. America would do well to study it
July 27th, 2007 at 8:31 am
[…] be participating in a press conference and First Amendment-themed rally at Union Square at 6:30pm this Friday, July 27. Picture New York have also prepared a petition available here: and are calling for photographers […]
July 27th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
I cannot understand a country that claims to value democracy, and even invades other countries in the name of democracy and freedom having or even considering such rule. The more I see our freedom being destroyed the more I see a return of the Nazi regime, this time in America. What’s next, call NYPD Stasi?
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:44 am
Infuriating! At a time when corporations and the government have more and more cameras being put up everywhere, the individual’s right to use cameras is being taken away. Let’s stand up!! Will there be another rally at Union Square? If there is not one planned, I propose we have one on Friday Aug 3rd. If anyone can respond to me at daverosey1@aol.com, I’d appreciate it. I’m tired of looking at my computer screen and pushing buttons. Let’s get together and talk. This issue is too big to ignore. Best, dave
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:45 am
I am against this law.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:56 am
As I understand the new rules, “any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour” could very easily be perversely interpreted by police at a demonstration as a rationale to arrest anyone taking pictures or shooting video in the vicinity of anyone else doing likewise.
Frankly, I believe this is really all about protecting the cops’ “rights” to arbitrarily arrest, harass and assault anyone they choose with impunity.
The tech exists to mandate that ALL cops wear video/audio recorders to capture every second of their on duty actions. Such a device would weigh less than a pound and with 8GB non volatile memory and no moving parts could be made fairly shock/water resistant and be mass produced for less than 500 bucks each.
The records can easily be archived for at least a year.
Good cops doing their jobs well/legally would welcome such objective/explicit documentation of their on the job performance. Only those who want to be able to “get away with murder” should object. Eh?