The Stop Shopping Monitor

1st Amendment Mob Tues 7/06, Miracles in Words

Defend CSV Cultural Center

Without any prior notice to the Visual Artists who have fought for over 4 years to Save Clemente Soto Velez from the Auction Block and from the covert plans of the old CSV board of directors:

Council member Alan Gerson announced this past Friday that he will UNVEIL HIS PLANS for Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center at a Town Hall Meeting on Monday Night.

Please come support the Artists Alliance at CSV!

-See Artists Alliance press release in the Comments-

Monday, June 28th, 2004
LES Preparatory School (part of Marta Valle Middle School) 145 Stanton Street entrance (bet. Norfolk & Suffolk Streets)

4th Floor Auditorium
6:30-8:00pm

Rev Billy & 1st Amendment Mob on CBS News

Go here for video 
On the right hand side bar click on "VIDEO: EVENING NEWS." That launches the video player, which has a right hand sidebar. Scroll down and look for "Protest Preparations"

The segment is entitled "Protest Preperation." We don't know how long they keep the thing posted -- it aired last night -- but we have saved the segment digitally and will put it online when we figure out how to do so without getting killed on bandwidth. Suggestions are welcome!

Note from the Rev:

It's a good feeling to see "The Church of the United States Constitution" on a network. These Gandhian techniques -- with lots of patience -- eventually do work.

But commercial media is commercial media.  CBS is owned by one of the world's weapons-makers, Westinghouse.  When we watched it we realized, of course, they never say that WE ARE IN GROUND ZERO.  

So a million people saw us reciting these freedoms inside what looks like a bright, white mall, which is what Ground Zero, and all sacred places, are becoming -- supermalls.

This Tuesday, join us at the Ground Zero Shopping Plaza, the northeast corner of GZ, down in the WTC Path Station, at 6:30 PM, reciting for 30 minutes the following words:

More on Convention Closings

From NY1

All of the closures are in the area of Madison Square Garden, where the
convention will be held.

From August 29th to September 2nd, 31st to 33rd streets will be shut down to cars from Sixth to Ninth avenues.

Between Seventh and Ninth avenues, pedestrians will be allowed for business use only.

Seventh Avenue will be closed to traffic from 29th to 42nd streets only
during convention hours.

Eighth Avenue will be shut down during convention hours from 23rd to 34th streets.

Thirty-first Street at Eight Avenue will be called a "protest area."

The convention will not be in session during rush hours.

30 Blocks of Cockmongering

New York City will close some 30 blocks of midtown Manhattan to traffic from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, including a protest area at 31st Street and Eighth Avenue, while the Republican National Convention is in session, Mayor Bloomberg said.

The street closures will create the most disruption in Manhattan’s garment manufacturing district near Madison Square Garden, the convention venue between 33rd and 34th Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues, Bloomberg said.

“The disruptions of traffic are a small price to pay for the $250 million in economic activity we’ll get from this convention,” Bloomberg said during his weekly appearance on WABC radio.

“If you don’t live or work in the garment district, you won’t know there’s a convention in town.”

I love how politiicians keep talking about the money this will bring in when Republicans have been cutting NYC budgets at the state and Federal level.

July 4th Declaration of Independence

Greene Dragon's DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 2004

July 4th: High Noon
26 Wall St, Washington Statue, steps of Federal Hall
http://www.greenedragon.org

See your name go down in history. Come and be an original signer of the Declaration of Independence 2004 from King George (Bush) II. Wearing updated colonial uniforms, the patriotic revelers of Greene Dragon will read off a "Glossary of Tyranny" listing grievances against George II, proclaim the people's independence from our current corporate monarchy, and offer a new vision of hope and government accountability for the future. We are asking you to take up our giant quill pen and sign your John & Jane Hancocks on the document's thirty-foot scroll. After the signing, we will topple an equestrian statue of George II riding a WMD and then toast to "Liberty" at George Washington's old haunt, Fraunces Tavern.

AFTERPARTY @ Fort Ticonderevel in "colonial" Williamsburg: Patriot Games, burlesque, Rev. Jen, Rev. Billy, Professor Space Jazz, BBQ, rooftop view of fireworks over river.

141 S. 5th St. between Bedford & Driggs (first
Brooklyn stop on "L" and "JMZ"

Afternoon-late, Free!! The best pro-beer, anti-Bush party of the summer.

* Greene Dragon is a street theater and media group celebrating the American Revel-ution 2004, a fun and freewheeling independence movement from corporate monarch George II this election season.

Lunchtime Rally for 1st Amendment

From NYCBORDC.org

The New York City Council is set to vote on Resolution 389-A, which calls on City officials to protect the right to protest at the forthcoming Republican National Convention.  The vote is scheduled for Monday, and in order to ensure that Council Members vote in favor of the resolution, the New York City Bill of Rights Defense Campaign is holding a Lunchtime Rally for the First Amendment.  We need you there. 

 Make signs and bring your lunch, your friends, your kids and your parents as we stand up for our rights.  We need to ensure that the voices of the people are not drowned out this summer at the RNC. The rally will coincide with a press conference on the steps of City Hall. It will begin at 11:45am and continue until 12:30pm.

What:   Lunchtime Rally for the First Amendment
When:  Monday, June 28, 11:45am – 12:30pm
Where: City Hall Steps (N/R to City Hall; 1/9 to Park Place; A/C/E to Chambers; J/M/Z Brooklyn Bridge)

For more information, log onto http://www.nycbordc.org

(hear Reverend Billy talk about his 1st Amendment Mob experiences tonight at THAW's 1st Amendment Follies!)

Spit, Lies and Video Tape

A letter from Chico, CA brings us legislative oddness:

We started a mini-riot at our city council last week when we brought a camera to film a councilor meeting with his PAC supporters.  They acted as though we had a sawed-off pointed at the guy.  We got a real barnburner of an interview though, it's like he just hands out the ammo to shoot his own ass off.   He was telling us it's okay to do whatever you have to do to win, including promise to vote a certain way to please your PAC.  Some PAC people tried to knock the camera out of my hubby's hand, which is clear on the tape, and one woman actually spit in my face, off camera, unfortunately.  That was a new sensation - I was so surprised, I wasn't even moved to violence!  I think that is my big bridge - trying not to get pissed off and punch somebody.  Your words of wisdom ring in my ears - I am not allowed to degrade people who do not share my point of view, even the spitters.  You know, when I tried to show someone what she did later, I couldn't even bring myself to spit, it's just too rude for me.   I really don't think I could ever punch somebody either.  Yell and cuss, oh yeah, that's me, and that's enough right there to get you a mouthful of somebody's knuckles.  I will work on my temper. (we're trying to fight several WalMarts in our area, it's like invasion of the business snatchers )---  Juanita