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Generally, the Abolitionist Action Committee enjoys cooperative
relations
with the Supreme Court Police. They know who we are and some of
those
among them who have been around for a few years have actually told us
that
they look forward to us coming. That said, there are regulations
that must
be followed. For the last several years we have sent a letter like
the
following. Please review it and you will understand the rules:
This letter will be updated in early June 2005 as we
re-negotiate for
this
year's Fast & Vigil.
19 June 2003
Lt. J. L. Peebles
SCOTUS Police
U.S. Supreme Court
Via E-Mail
Dear Lt. Peebles,
I hope this finds you well. Thank you for your phone call today. As the
death penalty has NOT YET been abolished, the Abolitionist Action Committee
will hold its 10th Annual Fast & Vigil at the US Supreme Court beginning
just before midnight on June 28.
Please find our general schedule and additional information on our web page
at www.abolition.org.
Specifically, the exact schedule is at
www.abolition.org/starvin12.schedule05.html. Please note that all currently
scheduled activities are pretty much set and are not expected to change,
however it is possible that additional specific activities may be added at
any point. In any case, rest assured that you have nothing to worry about
from us.
As always, we are a peaceful, nonviolent group of activists. We plan NO
civil disobedience at this event, and we ask all of our brothers and
sisters in the anti-death penalty movement to join us in this
pledge. Again, you may expect no trouble from us during this event.
BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING, YOU AFFIRM THAT SINCE LAST YEAR AT
THIS TIME THERE HAVE BEEN *NO* ADJUSTMENTS TO REGULATIONS FIVE OR SIX,
WHICH GOVERN DEMONSTRATIONS AND SIGNS ON THE SIDEWALKS. Please CALL me at
561-371-5204 if any adjustments are made between now and June 28.
REGARDING SIGNS
As we discussed, our signs have been determined by Lt. Dolan and others in
past years to be fully within compliance of the regulations. As you can
see by looking at the following photos:
Note: Click on any of the photos in this communication to see an enlargement
The signs are constructed of standard cloth banner materials, affixed to
wooden frames (supports) constructed of standard 1x1's, which as you know
are actually 3/4ths of an inch at their widest point. None of the hardware
used to assemble the frames protrudes from the frames. The dimensions of
the banners are approximately 4'x10', and the frames are slightly larger,
with longer verticals to help keep the signs off the ground. As these
signs are "hand carried," that is, there is always a person holding them,
there is no restriction on size.
REGARDING THE "Hand Carrying" OF SIGNS
This has been a matter of concern for us each year and we would like this
year to avoid the hassles encountered in past years. There have been
varying definitions of what it means to "carry" a sign. Some officers seem
to want sign holders to be always moving. Others are content to have the
activists always holding the sign, and occasionally shifting position. For
some officers that shift can be just a few inches, for others it must be
measured in feet. Some officers insist that the signs must always be held
aloft, never touching the ground. Others are content to allow the
activists to rest the "feet" of the sign on the ground. Invariably, by the
second day this all gets sorted out and we end up with the following:
Activists may rest the sign on the ground, but must always be the sole
means of the sign standing erect. Activists must shift the position of the
sign every few minutes. At no point shall activists impede pedestrian
traffic along the sidewalk or access to or from the plaza or building, or
cause any safety or security hazard. Activists may choose, at times, to
support themselves by the use of a chair, but in any case will always
maintain complete control and possession of the sign.
See examples of such behavior in the following photos:
It would be great if we can reach consensus on this matter ahead of time,
please. Thank you.
REGARDING TABLES
The tables we use are standard 8' banquet tables loaned to us by a local
church. We have used these tables in the following layout consistently for
the past seven years, with no problems or complaints from your agency. As
you can see in the photos below, the table layout has
two tables side by side, and one table centered behind them. We use
standard folding chairs. We set up a few feet in front of the first marble
step so as to stay well out of the general traffic pattern. We set up as
close to the center of the steps so as to be in proximity to the court and
the hideous lie carved into the front of the building, as is our right. At
no time is anyone blocked or inconvenienced in terms of their access to the
plaza. We do affix signs or banners to the tables, and we do use the
space underneath the tables for activists to leave their personal items, as
well as additional supplies of the materials we are distributing to passers
by. You will note that we position a large tarp underneath the table in a
position so that it may be quickly unfurled and wrapped around the table
when the rain and wind arrive. Again, in my seven years of organizing this
effort, we have never had a problem or complaint from your agency regarding
this set-up.
The material on the tables consists of printed matter for distribution to
interested parties, petitions for people to sign, as well as examples of
the materials we have available to people in our headquarters across the
street at the United Methodist Building. NO SALES, DONATIONS, OR
SOLICITATIONS ARE MADE ON THE SIDEWALK. If a person asks how they may
support our work, they are informed that the law prohibits any financial
exchange in that location, and they are escorted to our headquarters across
the street. This system has worked to everyone's satisfaction for the past
seven years.
See the following photos of the tables:
and ESPECIALLY the following photo where you can see just just how unobtrusive this set-up is.
REGARDING SPECIAL EVENTS / NOISE
There will be several occasions during our presence where we will have
formal programs which will include the use of amplification by battery
powered public address mechanisms which may be bullhorns, or speakers set
upon stands of various sizes. Because we are renting these items it is
impossible for me to give you specific dimensions. HOWEVER, nothing that
we will do, bring, or use will exceed that which we have done in the past,
and no SCOTUS police officer has ever complained about any such
items. ALSO, nothing that we will do, bring, or use, will exceed that
which is brought and used by the media when they set up their microphones,
lights, platforms, umbrellas, and sometimes even tent-like
structures. When we do use amplification, it will be temporary - for the
specific events listed in the schedule referenced above - notably the rally
at the noon hour and the rally in the evening on June 30.
We understand that at no point are amplification devices to be directed at
the US Supreme Court building.
 To the left is an example of the P/A and at our noon rally last, and a selection of photos at the noon rally from the previous year (2001) can be seen below:
Lt. Peebles, it would be most helpful if you would affirm receipt of this
letter by return e-mail, or by fax to 561-743-2500.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 800-973-6548. I'll be on
the ground in DC by 11am, June 27th. Feel free to call me on my cell phone
at 561-371-5204 should there be any matters you wish to discuss at any time
during the course of this event. Everyone involved in the event has been
informed of the regulations and will receive a copy of this letter. They
are also informed that I am the liaison between the event and the SCOTUS
Police.
I would ask that all officers working over the course of our four day event
be informed in advance of our presence, and the understandings of our
working procedures. We look forward to continued cooperative and friendly
relations. On behalf of the Abolitionist Action Committee,
In Peace,
Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director, CUADP, on behalf of the AAC
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