Political Action and the 2004 National Political Conventions

(June 2004)

Urszula Masny-Latos, issue editor, writes:

This month’s issue of Mass Dissent focuses on the opportunities for political action centered around the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The DNC is scheduled to be held in Boston from July 26 – 29, and the RNC will be held in New York City from August 30 – September 2.
The articles in this issue provide the background for the Massachusetts Chapter’s call for attorneys, law students and activists to volunteer to serve as criminal defense lawyers, hotline staffers, and legal observers during the upcoming DNC. There may very well be a large number of arrests arising from the numerous political protestors expected to participate in First Amendment activities during convention week. Those activists are counting on the assistance of the Guild’s Mass Defense Committee.
In anticipation of the needs of protestors, the Chapter has hired two law student interns (see page 3) to coordinate the services being offered by our Mass Defense Committee. They will coordinate the training of volunteer lawyers in First Amendment criminal defense work, the provision of attorneys for arraignments and post-arraignment representation, the staffing of a 24-hour legal assistance hotline, the training and provision of volunteer legal observers for public demonstrations, and the development and distribution of written legal resources.
The results of the intensive negotiations between lawyers from the Guild and the Mass. ACLU and Boston police and city officials concerning the ability and right of demonstrators to have access to DNC participants is detailed in Jeff Feuer’s lead article. Sarah Wunsch from the ACLU explicates the legal underpinnings of the First Amendment rights of activists, while Lynne Williams, Guild Regional Co-VP, provides some practical information concerning the RNC for activists and lawyers.
The Bl(A)ck Tea Society issues a call to action and describes the barriers that they have met in trying to organize alternative progressive political events during the DNC.
Bob Feldman has provided an interesting look back at the 1996 Chicago DNC, with many parallels to our current situation.

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