The details of where world leaders will be meeting during the G-20 Summit have been known for months.But some protestors are still waiting to learn where they will be seen and heard during the events.Activist groups want to know how close to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center they will be allowed to get.Pittsburgh's City Law Department hosted a meeting on Wednesday which included the U.S. Attorney's office, the American Civil Liberties Union and several other groups wanting permits to protest.With only a few weeks to go before the Sept. 24-25 summit, many of the groups still don't have written permits to protest.Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo was at Wednesday's 90 minute meeting and reported that after it was over, there were still no firm resolutions.The city said that the biggest of the planned protest marches from Oakland to somewhere downtown near the Thomas Merton Center will happen on Sept. 25. But the question of where exactly the march will end has not been decided.The group planning the march has a suggestion as to where the march should conclude"At Liberty and 10th, near the Federal Building, within sight of the convention center. We feel it's important that the delegates of the G-20 summit hear the people's voices," said Peter Shell of the Thomas Merton Center."These are locations that we suggested. They're taking them under advisement and promised to get back to us in the next 24 hours about whether or not those locations would be acceptable, both to the Secret Service and to the city law enforcement folks," said Vic Walczak of the ACLU.One of the possible problems with the suggested location is it's inside the "no driving area" and right on the edge of the checkpoint for the "secured restricted area" as determined by the Secret Service for the summit week, Mayo reported.Two groups have approved permits on the way in the mail, one is for a small demonstration in a parklet near the Strip District in the early part of the week. The other permit is for another group to hold events in the east side and march in the Hill District.Some of those still waiting for their permits have said they will go to court if the city doesn't move forward with the approval process.


Groups Say City Denied Them Permits To Be Within Site, Sound Of Summit

PITTSBURGH -- Groups planning to protest the G-20 Summit and the American Civil Liberties Union will sue the city of Pittsburgh and the Secret Service in federal court on Friday over denial of permits for their events.The Thomas Merton Center alleges the city is denying a planned Sept. 25 march from Oakland to downtown any reasonable access to be within "sight and sound" of the G-20 summit at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, as required by court precedent.Among the end-points for the G-20 protest march vetoed by the Secret Service, according to the ACLU are at Fort Duquesne Boulevard between 6th and 7th streets and on Liberty Avenue between 10th and Grant streets.The Secret Service would allow a strip district parking lot on Smallman street, but would require marchers to cross the Allegheny by bridge, walk down river on the north side, cross back via the 16th Street Bridge and then head back towards town.A Thomas Merton Center spokesman told Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo the city also suggested ending the march on the North Shore Walking Trail across the river from the Convention Center.Organizers argue that is not within a reasonable distance from the summit.Among the other groups joining in the lawsuit are Code Pink and Three Rivers Climate Convergence.The groups want permits to gather in Point State Park and to be able to camp there overnight.With the summit just two weeks away, protest organizers are hoping for a quick hearing before a federal judge on their request.-

thepittsburghchannel.com

Lawsuit threatened in Pittsburgh over G-20 protest permits

pittsburghlive.com

The Pittsburgh City Council heard more arguments and made some decisions about issues related to protests of the upcoming G-20 Summit.

In a preliminary vote, council said police could not issue citations to mask-wearing protestors without probable cause they intended to commit a crime.

"I think it's about the question of intent," City Councilman Patrick Dowd said. "How is it that the police can determine an individual's intent while wearing a mask?"

Disappointed, Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said similar measures in other cities have been helpful to the police in protecting the public.

"We feel that they're effective tools," Harper said. "As I stated, we looked at what other cities did to prepare for such events as the G-8, G-20 and other cities such as Denver had these tools in place and it was effective."

The city's law department also met with representatives of protest groups about potential assembly sites for protests which would be outside the security perimeter established by the Secret Service.

An attorney for the ACLU says that protest groups have asked to be allowed to demonstrate within the pedestrian zone of the security perimeter.

"One within the secure perimeter and others outside; where pedestrians can go," said ACLU attorney Vic Walczak. "They are willing to consider those and promise to get back to us shortly."

KDKA-TV's Harold Hayes was at the meeting and learned that some groups want to use Schenley Park as a central overnight staging area for protestors, rather than have them roam the city.

"We think it's really important. If we don't do that people are coming anyways, people are coming to Pittsburgh; they're gonna be around," said Kim Teplitzsky, of the 3 Rivers Climate Convergence. "They are gonna be in the streets and we'd rather set up a space that's safe and secure and healthy and has good sanitation than have people all over the city."

The groups hope to get answers on both issues Thursday.
kdka.com