Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Police Scale Back Proposed Parade Rules
By
Garth Johnston
Published Aug 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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
Garth Johnston
Published Aug 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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
Whew. The Police seem to be scaling back their much stricter proposed regulations for events in which two or more people gather on the street. "They blinked" Christopher Dunn, an attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union told Daily News.
While a newly written proposal is coming, they are "expected to eliminate any reference to sidewalk assembly," many people are celebrating victory today. The now-scrapped proposal would have required parade permits for gatherings of two or more people on the sidewalk that would might violate traffic laws. They also would have required parade permits for any group of 35 of more pedestrians, which would have made school trips a living nightmare. Because the proposed rules are now going to be rewritten the public meeting on the topic planned for next week has been scrapped - which means the public meeting over the Atlantic Rail Yards scheduled for the same time is going to be insane!
The changes came after a vocal outcry from the public and after the City Council met with NYPD officials earlier in the week. Claiming a victory for her crew, Council Speaker Quinn told the Times that "We are pleased the Police Department has withdrawn this proposal. We look forward to working with the administration to develop guidelines that address the need for the permitting of large groups, while also respecting New Yorkers’ right to gather freely.”
Of course, not everyone thinks the Council was very helpful in this. The ever charming civil rights lawyer Norman Siegal, who says this proves that "people power can beat police power," told the Times that “The City Council seems to have folded their tents when they should have been out there saying to the Police Department, ‘You cannot do that; that is us.’ It was a usurpation of the executive over the legislative branch, and the City Council seemed to let this happen.”
Photograph by skidder via Contribute.
Tagged
Atlantic Rail Yards
Christopher Dunn
city
City Council
civil rights
daily news
events
laws
new york
new york civil liberties union
new yorkers
news
News: NYC
nypd
parade
people
photos
police
police department
regulations
speaker quinn
the city
The City Council
The Police
traffic
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
How NY Gov. Hochul, Bruce Blakeman would tackle rising electric, heat bills
The latest part of our New York State of Unaffordability podcast looks at the candidates’ stances on utility costs.
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 10:39 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Some NYC workers got up extremely early to commute from the Poconos
Because more city workers are living out there because it's affordable, here are your early links: Santacon returning under new management, New Jersey kids are learning cursive and loving it, Forest Hills Stadium cutting back and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Some NYC workers got up extremely early to commute from the Poconos
Because more city workers are living out there because it's affordable, here are your early links: Santacon returning under new management, New Jersey kids are learning cursive and loving it, Forest Hills Stadium cutting back and more.
By
James Ramsay
Mamdani-backed housing bill will give nonprofits head start on buying NYC apartments
By
David Brand
Fatal motorcycle crash on George Washington Bridge disrupts morning commute
By
Michael Sol Warren
Ballot questions ask NYC voters whether to cut red tape on outdoor dining, bike lanes
By
Walter Wuthmann
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 .