Get Birmingham, AL to Lift the Ban on Marches, Protests, and Demonstrations
Get Birmingham, AL to Lift the Ban on Marches, Protests, and Demonstrations
The Issue
Following the murder of George Floyd, cities across the country began protesting against police brutality and an oppressive justice system. Birmingham, AL is one of these cities and has had a handful of peaceful protests as well as peaceful protests in Hoover, AL where the police shot and killed EJ Bradford after misidentifying him as the shooter in the Galleria Mall on November 22, 2018. EJ was shot 3 times from behind and his killing was ruled justifiable. Several arrests were made at the Hoover protests and attendees of the protest stated the arrests appeared to be for the simple acts of stepping off the curb or talking to police officers. After a peaceful protest in downtown Birmingham on May 31, 2020, a 7 P.M curfew was placed on the cities of Birmingham and Hoover, AL when the protest turned violent later in the night, leading to the vandalism of several buildings and statues. This situation is regrettable and is inconsistent with how the majority of Alabama has chosen to protest. However, the mayor of Birmingham has extended the curfew to include a ban on ALL protests, demonstrations, and marches on public property for 24 hours each day indefinitely until the curfew is lifted unless pursuant of a permit issued under Title 12, Section 5 of the General Code of the City of Birmingham (with the exception of a designated protest area at W.C Patton Park from the hours of 10 A.M-3 P.M). This is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the American Constitution, which explicitly states that American citizens have the right to free speech and peaceful assembly. We should not have to pursue permission to protest peacefully when that permission is already granted in the Constitution. We have the right to be heard and to protest injustices we see in this country, and that right is being infringed upon by the mayor of Birmingham, Randall Woodfin. Please sign this petition to urge Mayor Woodfin to end this government overreach.
Victory
The Issue
Following the murder of George Floyd, cities across the country began protesting against police brutality and an oppressive justice system. Birmingham, AL is one of these cities and has had a handful of peaceful protests as well as peaceful protests in Hoover, AL where the police shot and killed EJ Bradford after misidentifying him as the shooter in the Galleria Mall on November 22, 2018. EJ was shot 3 times from behind and his killing was ruled justifiable. Several arrests were made at the Hoover protests and attendees of the protest stated the arrests appeared to be for the simple acts of stepping off the curb or talking to police officers. After a peaceful protest in downtown Birmingham on May 31, 2020, a 7 P.M curfew was placed on the cities of Birmingham and Hoover, AL when the protest turned violent later in the night, leading to the vandalism of several buildings and statues. This situation is regrettable and is inconsistent with how the majority of Alabama has chosen to protest. However, the mayor of Birmingham has extended the curfew to include a ban on ALL protests, demonstrations, and marches on public property for 24 hours each day indefinitely until the curfew is lifted unless pursuant of a permit issued under Title 12, Section 5 of the General Code of the City of Birmingham (with the exception of a designated protest area at W.C Patton Park from the hours of 10 A.M-3 P.M). This is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the American Constitution, which explicitly states that American citizens have the right to free speech and peaceful assembly. We should not have to pursue permission to protest peacefully when that permission is already granted in the Constitution. We have the right to be heard and to protest injustices we see in this country, and that right is being infringed upon by the mayor of Birmingham, Randall Woodfin. Please sign this petition to urge Mayor Woodfin to end this government overreach.
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Petition created on June 3, 2020