Documentary Production and Distribution News
ACLJ Demands NYC to Permit Showing 9-11 Documentary
By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Jul 28, 2011, 14:46
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, sent a demand letter to New York City urging the City's Department of Parks and Recreation to approve a request from the Christian Action Network (CAN) to permit the showing of a documentary made about 9-11 survivors.
(New York) The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional
law, sent a demand letter to New York City urging the City's Department of Parks
and Recreation to approve a request from the Christian Action Network (CAN)
to permit the showing of a documentary made about 9-11 survivors.
The ACLJ represents CAN, which has been denied permission to utilize a number
of City parks, which are available and routinely used by other organizations,
to show a documentary entitled: "Sacrificed Survivors: The Untold Story
of the Ground Zero Mega-Mosque," which addresses the controversy surrounding
the mosque at Ground Zero from the perspective of individuals who lost loved
ones in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Communications between
the Parks Department and CAN's representatives reveal that the Department's
concern over the documentary's content and viewpoint is the issue.
Brett Joshpe, ACLJ Counsel, said: "The City cannot refuse the organization
an opportunity to show this documentary based upon its content. That's viewpoint
discrimination and a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
We demand prompt action to remedy this situation."
In light of the upcoming tenth anniversary commemorating the horrific attacks
at Ground Zero in New York City, CAN had requested to show the documentary in
seven different locations in the City. On one occasion, a Department representative
rejected the requests saying the venues were "booked." A review of
the Department's own scheduling calendar revealed that was not the case. On
another occasion, a Department representative told CAN that the documentary
touched on a sensitive subject near the 9-11 anniversary and that because city
schools would be in session, there would be a greater likelihood of children
and youth viewing the documentary. The representative rejected the request saying
children viewing the documentary might become upset.
In a demand letter sent to Corporate Counsel of the New York City Law
Department, the ACLJ explains in detail the constitutional violations the City
committed by refusing to grant CAN's applications.
"The law is clear: the City has violated the Christian Action Network's
rights under the First Amendment," the demand letter states. "The
City's refusal to approve CAN's applications due to disagreement with the content
and viewpoint of the documentary violates CAN's First Amendment rights. The
First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the government from
'abridging the freedom of speech.'"
The demand letter requests a written assurance from the City by Monday, August
1st at 5 p.m. that the applications have been approved. Additional details about
this case and the demand letter are posted here.
Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses
on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.
Resources:
www.aclj.org
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