Violation of First Amendment to Cover Up Violation of First Amendment

More on what happened yesterday at Zuccotti Park -

The muzzling of media coverage, which went as far as arresting and literally pushing around reporters, amounts to a violation of the First Amendment (freedom of press) to cover up a violation of the First Amendment (right to peaceably assemble).

It's not surprising that Bloomberg missed this, as he appallingly indicated in his public statement that he thinks for First Amendment protects only freedom of speech.   But, as I pointed out yesterday, the First Amendment also quite obviously protects freedoms of press and peaceable assemblage (for which, by the way, no expiration date or limitation of duration of assembly is given).

Further, since Oakland Mayor Quan admitted that the clearings of Occupy sites across the country were coordinated in a conference call with 18 mayors, there may be good evidence of a conspiracy to violate the First Amendment.

I call upon the Federal government to finally do something to stop this coordinated attack on American democracy.   How about the Attorney General investigating what those misguided mayors did?   How about charging them with conspiracy to undermine our Constitution?

Do we live in a nation of laws, or a nation in which government officials and police can do whatever they choose?

-Paul Levinson, PhD
Professor of Communication and Media Studies
Fordham University


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