The District of Columbia has threatened to fine an anti-war organization $10,000 for plastering signs around the city promoting a demonstration against America’s four-year war in Iraq. But organizers say the yellow-and-black posters conform to city regulations and the fines are politically motivated.
“Fining us for putting up free speech-protected literature makes a mockery of the First Amendment,” said Sarah Sloan of ANSWER, the anti-war organization leading the Sept. 15 march.
D.C. public works spokeswoman Linda Grant said the ANSWER workers used glue to post the flyers, posted the placards on traffic-control boxes and posted more than three fliers to a side of a block, all violations of the D.C. regulations.
“This is not an issue of content,” Grant said. “This is about trying to reach a balance of allowing people to use the lampposts versus keeping the city neat.”
ANSWER had 72 hours to remove every poster or the fines would go into effect, Grant said. But Sloan said the 64 notices the group received Monday cite the organization only for “posting on lampposts.” D.C. allows political signs to be affixed to lampposts.
This is the first time in six years that her organization has been cited for sign posting, Sloan said. The fines are an attempt to repress next month’s demonstration, Sloan said, because the protest will coincide with the release of Gen. David Petraeus’ Iraq progress report.
“We really consider this to be a politically motivated decision,” Sloan said. “The last thing they want is tens of thousands of people hitting the streets saying the war was based on lies and the war should end immediately.”
