Irish Queers Protesting Tomorrow's Discriminatory NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade

Irish activists will protest against the decision by organizers of the Fifth Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade to deny open LGBTQ participation

The world's largest St. Patrick's Day Parade, running along New York City's tony Fifth Avenue on Monday, includes over a quarter of a million marching participants, according the parade organiser's Web site. This year, amongst the millions, who will be watching the parade from the sidelines, will be members and allies of the group Irish Queers, who will be protesting the parade's record of discriminating against open LGBTQ participation.

Numerous elected officials from Ireland and New York are refusing to march in this year's parade, members of Irish Queers claim, because organizers of the parade discriminate against open LGBTQ participants. But New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his police commissioner, William Bratton, are allowing thousands of uniformed NYPD cops and firefighters to nevertheless march in their uniforms, which sends the wrong message to LGBTQ New Yorkers, especially those who are already at risk of being targeted for harassment by the police, according to the Facebook event for the Irish Queers protest.

• RELATED : Is Bill de Blasio doing enough about St. Patrick's Day Parade's LGBTQ discrimination controversy ? (NYC : News & Analysis)
• RELATED : Transgender Groups Protest NYPD's Handling of Islan Nettles' Death (DNAinfo)

LGBTQ activists and allies have called on Mayor de Blasio to ban the use of official city uniforms by, for example, police and firefighters who plan to march in the parade, but the mayor refused to acquiesce to their demands. Notwithstanding, Mayor de Blasio has said that he will not participate in tomorrow's parade. Since the parade is a private event, it is allowed to discriminate against determine who participates in its event. "The city, however, bound by its human rights law, does not have the right to lend its authority and stamp of approval to that discrimination. And it does have the right to determine when its workers can use their uniforms and other symbols of their employment in public settings," wrote Paul Schindler, the editor of Gay City News, in the LGBTQ's rebuttal to the mayor's denial.

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito issued a separate statement, informing the the LGBTQ community that she would not authorize an official City Council contingency in the discriminatory St. Patrick's Day Parade, but she would not ban City Council employees from participating. Last year, Speaker Mark-Viverito sparked controversy when she hired the lobbyist Scott Levenson to work on her speakership campaign. Mr. Levenson, and his lobbying firm, The Advance Group, worked for the City Action Coalition PAC, which lists 'traditional marriage' as its platform and supported opponents of gay City Council candidates. Questions were also raised by bloggers whether Mr. Levenson sabotaged LGBTQ civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland's political campaign ?

In contrast to the timid city officials, the large commercial beer brewer Heineken announced last week and the makers of Guinness announced today that they had withdrawn their support of the discriminatory St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City.

Protesters are gathering at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow between 56th and 57th Streets on the westside of Fifth Avenue (basically, across the street from Tiffany & Co.).

RSVP for the protest here : Cops Out or Queers In ! Protest the Fifth Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade ! (Facebook)

India Section 377 Protest NYC #NoGoingBack #377DayOfRage

Protest in Union Square NYC Against Section 377 Indian Supreme Court Ruling

On December 11, 2013, the Supreme Court of India reinstated the British Raj era law known as Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality. This Judgment has inspired anger across different sections of society around the world. While the legal battle continues, it is important that we make our voices heard.

Activists organized protests in approximately 40 cities around the world on Sunday, December 15, 2013. This video depicts some of the activists, who gathered in Union Square in New York City, to denounce the Indian Supreme Court ruling as unfair, unjust, and discriminatory.

Ydanis Rodriquez and Jumaane Williams Confronted on Bratton Appointment

"What a hypocrite," one activist shouted at Ydanis Rodriguez

Activists critical of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's appointment of William Bratton as NYPD commissioner confronted Councilmembers Ydanis Rodriquez and Jumaane Williams on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Some of the activists included family members of people murdered by police when Mr. Bratton was first Police Commissioner, from 1994 to 1996.

When activists asked Councilmember Rodriguez what he thought of the Bratton appointment, Mr. Rodriguez responded by saying, "I support the mayor," shocking the conscience of activists.

"You support the mayor ?" one activist asked, having to repeat Mr. Rodriguez's statement, because Mr. Rodriguez was only recently a very visible critic of abusive NYPD policies, such as stop-and-frisk. The one activist continued, "You support the mayor, when you used to march with us [against] police brutality ?"

Indeed, on Feb. 29, 2012, blogger and activist Javier Soriano reported that Mr. Rodriguez stood alongside Councilmember Williams at a demonstration in support of NYPD reform legislation. (New Yorkers United to End Stop-and-Frisk and Discriminatory Policing * JavierSoriano.com)

Yet, Mr. Rodriguez was now supporting the Bratton appointment, which reform activists view as a betrayal of community demands to end the state-sponsored forms of racism that are at the crux of stop-and-frisk and police brutality, which have been sources of conflict in Bratton's history.

"What a hypocrite," another activist shouted at Mr. Rodriguez. Through other jeers, still yet another activist is heard telling Mr. Rodriguez, "You support the people, who have no respect for human rights."

Mr. Bratton's selection to succeed Ray Kelly as NYPD commish has been Mr. de Blasio's first administration scandal, triggering a wave of protests weeks before Mr. de Blasio is set to be sworn into office. It appears that the mayor-elect is breaking a major campaign promise to "end the stop-and-frisk era." The betrayal comes from the fact that Mr. Bratton has been described as the "architect of stop-and-frisk," and he has had a controversial record in Los Angeles, where he was once police chief, and other municipalities, where he has served as an outside consultant to other police forces. One would never have guessed from Mr. de Blasio's campaign propaganda against stop-and-frisk that Mr. de Blasio's pick to lead the NYPD would be the "architect of stop-and-frisk." (Bill de Blasio Bill Bratton Stop and Frisk Broken Campaign Promises * YouTube)

Already Mr. de Blasio has reacted with cunning calculation against the stop-and-frisk protesters by thwarting their First Amendment rights to protest by deploying both NYPD and FDNY resources. (Did Bill de Blasio misuse FDNY Fire Drill To Thwart Stop-And-Frisk Protest ?)

Back on the steps of City Hall, when activists noticed Mr. Williams, they swarmed around him. One activist pointed out Mr. Williams' duplicitous support for Mr. de Blasio's pick to lead the NYPD. "Look at what they did to you," one activist said, adding, "Do you think they care about you ?"

This was a reference to the egregious incident when the NYPD detained Mr. Williams for no other reason than the color of his skin. (Police Detain Brooklyn Councilman at West Indian Parade)

Activists are trying to appeal to the conscience of past reform leaders, who used to call for an end of racism and brutality by the troubled police department. But many activists see the past reform leaders being paid off with appointments, City Council slush funds, lucrative Council chairmanships, or promises of increased power, authority, or influence under the incoming de Blasio administration as some reasons why past reform leaders are turning their backs on previous commitments to reform.

The struggle over the next top cop comes at a challenging time for a police force beset by a ticket-fixing scandal, continuing controversy over the city's appeal of a landmark stop-and-frisk court ruling, and allegations of malicious motivations to interfere with freedom of the press. The incoming de Blasio administration would love nothing better than to quiet down any community backlash to his appointment of Bratton.

BREAKING : Bill de Blasio Was Arrested in an Act of Civil Disobedience to Save LICH

SUNY officials order police to arrest activists trying to save LICH from closure.

DeBlasio also marched out in cuffs with a bunch of media following. #savelich pic.twitter.com/aLWH8rB3Z9

— Sarah Jaffe (@sarahljaffe) July 10, 2013

New York City public advocate Bill de Blasio was led away in handcuffs after reports that a peaceful demonstration to save Long Island College Hospital from closing turned into an act of civil disobedience.

.@BilldeBlasio being placed under arrest. Put in the back of police van. pic.twitter.com/PbleLR3hbJ

— Erin Durkin (@erinmdurkin) July 10, 2013

A demonstration had been scheduled Wednesday morning to apply political pressure on SUNY management officials. SUNY will decide whether LICH remains open or is closed as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's radical healthcare cuts to window dress the New York State budget in advance of his expected bid for the 2016 presidential race.

Healthcare activists, hospital employees, and healthcare union officials have been trying for months to appeal for help from politicians from Albany to City Hall, but the state legislative session ended last month with no rescue package, and locally Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn concluded next years budget negotiations without making any provision to save LICH from closure.

In the last few weeks, activists had been holding many demonstrations, rallies, and other acts of protest to draw attention to the plight of Brooklyn hospitals. Since 2006, ten New York City hospitals have either closed or downsized, and the remaining hospitals are over-burnded. Wait times at emergency rooms are escalating, and patients in life-or-death situations are having to take longer and longer ambulance rides to get to the next nearest emergency room. To make matters worse, Gov. Cuomo empaneled a group called the Medicaid Redesign Team to identify three more hospitals to close in Brooklyn.

On Feb. 8, 2011, four community activists were arrested in an act of civil disobedience to save St. Vincent's Hospital, but the community received no support from Speaker Quinn. At a rally outside of Gov. Cuomo's office on Monday, Mr. de Blasio accused Mayor Bloomberg of just walking away from the community after St. Vincent's Hospital closed. St. Vincent's activists don't remember Mr. de Blasio being involved in the herculean effort to first save St. Vincent's and then to later preserve the hospital infrastructure for a replacement hospital. But pressure politics from this year's mayoral campaign season has finally pushed him to take bold action. Many St. Vincent's activists noted that it was about time that Mr. de Blasio took action, after all, he is the city's Public Advocate.

Speaker Quinn accepted $30,000 in campaign donations from Rudin Management Company before she approved the billion-dollar Rudin condo conversion plan for St. Vincent's Hospital.

Protest Against Christine Quinn At The New School

Last Tuesday, over one dozen protesters gathered outside the New School on West 11th Street in a demonstration against New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Josh Isay, one of Speaker Quinn's campaign consultants, tried to walk into the New School without drawing attention to himself, but many of the protesters knew who he was. Above, Mr. Isay was photographed hustling inside to the education form whilst clutching his cup of coffee ; in the background is the community organiser, Donny Moss.

Speaker Quinn is running an unannounced campaign for mayor this year, and activists across New York City are protesting her horrible record on term limits, the use of slush funds, her blockage of the paid sick leave bill, the closing of so many hospitals in New York City including St. Vincent's, and her support to fully-fund the NYPD's practice of using stop-and-frisk.

Financial Women's Association - Protest Against Christine Quinn

On Tuesday, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has yet to formally announce her mayoral campaign, is giving her "first campaign speech" (according to the press) at a high profile education event in Greenwich Village. The event is full, and press will be there. We need a good turnout of activists to display our posters and distribute handouts to attendees.

"I wouldn't normally schedule a morning protest, but this is too important an event to skip," said Donny Moss, from the Facebook group, Defeat Christine Quinn.

What: Protest Against Quinn

Where: 65 West 11th Street (btwn 5th & 6th Aves.)

When: Tuesday, Jan 15th - 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

. @fwany Protest against Christine Quinn at Power Women Panel conta.cc/13oOJKt @stopchrisquinn #termlimits #slushfunds #ABUSEofpower

— Defeat Chris Quinn (@donnymossnyc) January 12, 2013

Stop-and-Frisk Protesters Focus On Christine Quinn

Stop-and-Frisk Christine Quinn

The live streamer and blogger Stop Motion Solo has blogged about the stop-and-frisk protest against Christine Quinn :

On December 30, 2012, 25 to 30 people gathered in Jackson Heights, Queens to demonstrate against the controversial NYPD policy of Stop-and-Frisk, and to hold City Council Speaker Christine Quinn accountable for her support of the policy.

... Needless to say, something is very wrong with some of the current policing practices and it is questionable whether or not Christine Quinn would work towards any reforms at all should she be elected Mayor. She already helped Mayor Bloomberg overturn the term-limits referendum. “City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a potential 2013 mayoral candidate…went out on a limb two years ago to persuade her colleagues on the council to grant the mayor’s request to overturn the term-limits law.”

Read more : Stop-and-Frisk Christine Quinn

Please donate to www.wepay.com/donations/citizen-journalism to support the work by Stop Motion Solo as an Independent Journalist.

Protest Banned By French Police ; Security Zone Created Around Moroccan King Mohammed VI Castle

The police in the Oise Department in France have banned a long-term demonstration planned to begin Saturday and to end on Friday, November 2, in front of a castle belonging to the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI.

Organizers of the protest, set to take place in front of the King's castle in Betz, a small village north-east of Paris, were requesting that Moroccans denounce “all injustices and indignities” committed by the current dictatorship in Morocco, reported RFI.

“The chief has banned the protests as a preventative measure” confirmed the Oise police department. “He believes that this area, in conjunction with what was planned for the demonstration and with protesters wanting to camp day and night, that it would only lead to incidents of public disorder. This would go against the purpose of the protest.”

French police officers have created a "security zone" around the castle, RFI reported.

Obama Signs Anti-Protest Trespass Bill H.R. 347 Into Law

President Barack Obama signed H.R. 347 into law, a bill that could drastically limit the ability of Americans to assemble and protest. Sometimes referred to as the Trespass Bill, the wording in the new law now makes it a federal offense to assemble at many political events, essentially criminalizing protesting.

Notwithstanding the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, both houses of Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, legislation that most people view as unconstitutional. Did anybody read the First Amendment ?

AMENDMENT I. 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.

(Censorship update : The original video blogged on this post was banned by YouTube.)

Quinn NYU Expansion Protest

There will be a protest against City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Thursday, February 23, 2012, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., at 151-155 Sullivan Street (below Houston) at St. Anthony of Padua Church. Hundreds of New York City voters in Speaker Quinn's city council district are expected to participate in a rally and press conference at a public hearing to express their dismay about major real estate development (the irresponsible NYU Expansion Plans and the billion-dollar luxury condo and townhouse conversion of St. Vincent's Hospital) in Greenwich Village -- development which will undoubtedly be supported by Speaker Quinn, given her track record of repaying her estate donors at the expense of local communities in New York City. Check out a related flyer :New York University Expansion Protest Flyer GVSHP

Bill Rudin Martin Luther King, Jr., Day - St. Vincent's Hospital Protest

Stop Closing Hospitals !

In 1966, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and most inhuman." In this video, activists protested outside St. Vincent's Hospital to say that it is unacceptable that hospitals are being closed in New York City with no plan to meet emergency, trauma, or critical care healthcare services. The healthcare gap that is being created is leading to a major divide between emergency healthcare between the haves and the have-nots, something that Dr. King would not have wanted.

#OccupyWallStreet Marches to St. Vincent's Hospital

The activist group called Hands Off St. Vincent's endorses the #OccupyWallStreet march to St. Vincent's Hospital.

During Troy Davis Protest, NYPD Use of Excessive Force

NEW YORK CITY (22 Sept 2011) -- At a passionate, yet peaceful flashmob protest and march, activists against the death penalty demonstrated yesterday in New York City one day after the execution of Troy Davis, a man believed to be innocent of the charges that lead to his execution. In this exclusive video, watch as how officers from the New York City Police Department carried weapons, used excessive force, and made at least one violent arrest during yesterday's demonstration.

Quinn Plaza Hotel Protest

Christine Quinn - Plaza Hotel - Gays Against Quinn (Protest Video)

Over 20 activists gathered outside the Plaza Hotel in a demonstration against City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Watch as protesters speak against Christine Quinn to former Mayor David Dinkins' entourage and hand anti-Quinn literature to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Some of us were there because of Speaker Quinn's use of a $50 million slush fund during a time when we live under constant threat by Mayor Bloomberg, that he is going to lay off teachers and close down fire houses. Others were there, because Speaker Quinn pushed through a controversial extension of term limits, allowing Mayor Bloomberg, herself, and others, to run for a third term in office. Still yet others were there because of Speaker Quinn's complete abdication of full civil rights for LGBT New Yorkers, do-nothing record over hospital closings, horrible animal rights record, and use of city staff for campaign work.

Please join us for a Third Anniversary Protest of the Term Limits Extension at 2 pm on Sunday, October 23, at City Hall.

Please also join our Facebook group : Gays Against Christine Quinn.