Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Official Map Now Shows "First Amendment Area" For OWS At Federal Hall
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 20, 2012
Modified Apr 20, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 20, 2012
Modified Apr 20, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Aw, how sweet of the National Park Service to set up a little "First Amendment Rights Area" on the steps of Federal Hall! This new map on the official website shows how the Park police are doing their best to accommodate our nation's annoying "free speech" laws. Do you have a political opinion that you want to express? Just keep your lips sealed until you are securely stationed behind the barricades, then rant to your heart's content! (Any loud free speech after nightfall, however, will not be tolerated.)
Earlier this week we reported that the NYPD had set up barricades dividing the steps into a space for tourists and a space for Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. Now, for the time being at least, the National Park Service has made it official, with a designated First Amendment Rights Zone. According to one protester, the NYPD is "preventing the public from interacting with protesters in the 'freedom cage' at Federal Hall." In order to be fair, they're now going to have to set up a Second Amendment cage for the Tea Party (preferably one with a firing range).
The current situation at Federal Hall isn't the first of its kind, according to DCist editor Martin Austermuhle. "In Washington, D.C., two Occupy D.C. encampments popped up on land controlled by the federal government—McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza," says Austermuhle. "This meant that any enforcement actions, like the February eviction of occupiers from McPherson Square, were the responsibility of the U.S. Park Police, not D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. (City officials were left frustrated that they couldn't even enforce health regulations at the encampments.)
"It also meant that the politics of policing Occupy D.C. got significantly more complicated. At a January congressional hearing, National Park Service officials came under intense scrutiny from Republicans for not evicting occupiers for breaking a law that forbids camping in some national parks, including McPherson Square."
Here in NYC, Occupy protesters sought refuge at Federal Hall after the NYPD stopped them from sleeping on the sidewalk near the Stock Exchange. On their first night there, Park officers let them be, but the NYPD made ten arrests, frequently singling out protesters who seemingly did nothing wrong, and in some cases violently detaining them. Here's video.
Tagged
federal hall
first amendment
free speech zone
national park service
occupy wall street
protests
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
MTA says Trump's tariffs added $1B to cost of NYC's new train cars, buses
New York's train cars and buses are manufactured in the United States, but they rely on loads of components manufactured all over the world.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Sep 30, 2026 at 2:33 p.m. ET
New York City says the World Cup delivered a $2B boost to its economy
The city tracked spending by out-of-town visitors during the tournament.
By
Catalina Gonella
News
New York City says the World Cup delivered a $2B boost to its economy
The city tracked spending by out-of-town visitors during the tournament.
By
Catalina Gonella
What Trump's Title IX rollback means for LGBTQ+ students in New York
By
Giulia Heyward
Early Addition: Pedicabs keep blasting 'Empire State of Mind' outside Broadway theaters during the show
By
James Ramsay
LES stabbing sends 3 men to the hospital as NYPD search for the top hat-wearing suspect
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .