April 13–20, 2000

convention watch

Going to the Dogs

by Daryl Gale

The first permit to demonstrate at this summer’s Republican National Convention has been issued. And who do you suppose it was issued to? One of the usual groups of sign carriers and bullhorn shouters, just waiting to be hauled away for civil disobedience, right? Wrong. It’s the National Greyhound Adoption Program.

If you have no idea what the National Greyhound Adoption Program is, don’t feel bad. Many people haven’t. That’s why they’ve asked for a permit to demonstrate.

"Our purpose for wanting to demonstrate at the Republican Convention is to increase awareness of the plight of racing greyhounds," said executive director David Wolf. "These beautiful animals are bred for racing, and then ‘retired’ when they’re three years old. ‘Retirement’ usually consists of being shot in the head or sold to a research facility. We saw the convention as a national forum to educate the public about this issue. We’re not looking to protest, per se, but more to make a statement about a subject we feel is vitally important."

Only 64 groups will be issued permits to demonstrate, and then only at a designated "free speech site" in FDR Park across from the First Union Center. Many of the city’s open spaces, including Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square and Ben Franklin Parkway, have been reserved for the Republicans, giving them a "right of first refusal" and requiring GOP permission before any group can assemble at these sites.

That idea doesn’t sit well with Mike Morrill. Morrill is the lead organizer of Unity 2000, a coalition of groups planning protests at the convention, and he thinks the city just wants protesters to go away quietly.

"We don’t think anyone should use the city’s designated ‘protest pit’," Morrill said last week. "History shows us that the protesters in FDR Park will be out of sight, and therefore out of mind. The convention delegates and the media will never see or hear the protesters, even if they wanted to. That ‘right of first refusal’ thing is just the city’s way of throwing the protesters’ First Amendment rights out the window in the name of publicity and national attention."

Not so, according to Police Administration Lt. Ann McGinley. McGinley is in charge of handling requests to use the designated protest site. "The free speech site is right along Broad Street, directly across from the First Union Center," McGinley said. "We’re not trying to hide them. The protesters will be in full view. We just want to maintain order."

Groups wishing to demonstrate have to submit an application to the Philadelphia Police Department’s Civil Affairs Unit before the May 15 deadline. Applications can even be registered online, at the department’s Web site, http://www.phila.gov/rnc_permit/index.htm. Permits to demonstrate at the site in FDR Park will be decided by lottery and protesters will be given only 50 minutes each to vent.

"So far, we’ve only received the one application," McGinley said Monday. "All people have to do is call us at 215-685-3684 or use the Web site, and we’ll process them as quickly as possible."

According to Morrill, Unity 2000 requested permission to march from Sixth and Market to Ben Franklin Parkway and were immediately turned down.

"We were told the Republicans needed the Parkway, and that we should go to the free speech site," he said. "What we have here is the exact opposite of free speech. Even the sound system they provide will be timed to turn off when your 50 minutes is up, and will be controlled by convention organizers. How ‘free’ is that?"

All this finger pointing and legal wrangling doesn’t bother the folks over at the National Greyhound Adoption Program. The free speech site is more than sufficient for their purposes.

"We’re just going to hand out leaflets and placards," Wolf said. "What will bring attention to us is the fact that we’re bringing a couple of hundred dogs with us to illustrate our point."