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Aug 19, 2009 6:44 am US/Eastern
Groups Denied Protesting Permits For G-20 Meet
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Pittsburgh city leaders aren't the only ones making plans when it comes to the G-20 summit protestors are getting ready as well, but some say the city is already violating their rights.
One group gathered at East Liberty Presbyterian Church Tuesday to figure out where and how they'll be able to express their views when the summit is in town.
Organizers say they haven't been given any alternatives.
"We feel that this is turning into a First Amendment civil rights issue," Francine Porter, from Code Pink Women For Peace, said. "We have the right to be seen, we have the right to get our message out."
Code Pink and the Iraq Veterans Against The War brought a letter addressed to Pittsburgh City Council.
In it, they say they want to create a "non-hostile, non-threatening, family-friendly environment in which people could engage in discussion and educate one another about the G-20 and its impact on the world."
They were hoping to set up a tent city at Point State Park or hold a march downtown.
All of their permits have been denied.
"They denied the permit for our march on Friday to march down to downtown and within a block of the Convention Center, they've also denied all the groups who have applied for a permit for Point State Park for the week of G-20," Peter Shell said.
Local government officials say they're waiting on the Secret Service before they can issue permits, but local protesters aren't buying it.
Some of the groups at the meeting say they're already on the agenda for City Council's meeting on Sept. 2.
They hope to get answers then so they can start organizing legal demonstrations and not resort to marching without permits.
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