Dear Common Dreams Readers:
$50k
For Immediate Release
Baylor Johnson, (786) 363-2720, bjohnson@aclufl.org
ACLU of Florida to Have First Amendment Resource Center at RNC Site
ACLU of Florida staff and volunteers to have base of operations along parade route, online and printed resources, press availability during the convention
TAMPA - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida will be present at the Republican National Convention (RNC) next week providing informational resources in many different forms. For over a year, the organization has been working to prepare for the event, distributing Know Your Rights materials, hosting community forums and webinars with city officials and First Amendment experts, and working to ensure that individuals’ rights will be protected during the convention. Now that the convention has arrived, the ACLU of Florida will be focused on promoting, protecting and celebrating the constitutional rights of protesters, press and the public on the streets of Tampa.
Below is a list of some of the work and resources the ACLU of Florida is planning around the RNC:
The ACLU of Florida will have a mobile resource center within the RNC event zone at the corner of Whiting Street and Nebraska Avenue along the official parade route. This site, four blocks from the arena, will be our base of operation within the event zone where staff and volunteers will provide information to demonstrators, distribute materials throughout the event zone, and be available for media comment.
The ACLU of Florida, along with the Greater Tampa Chapter of the ACLU of Florida, have produced a “First Amendment Toolkit” newspaper for protesters at the RNC, with information about First Amendment Rights, the permitting process in Tampa, and your rights when encountering police. 15,000 copies of the newspaper will be distributed to demonstrators and activists throughout the week.
The ACLU of Florida’s online resource hub can be found at: www.aclufl.org/RNC. This page is a one-stop-shop for RNC materials, and includes our RNC First Amendment Toolkit both as a browsable, mobile-friendly webpage and a downloadable PDF, as well as links to additional Know Your Rights materials, resources we’ve developed for the RNC, slideshows and videos from our RNC forums and webinars, and links to get help and volunteer. This page will also be updated throughout the week with information related to the RNC and any news as it develops.
The ACLU of Florida will be live-tweeting throughout the RNC. Follow us on Twitter at @ACLUFL.
The ACLU of Florida will also post regular blog posts on RNC activity. Check the blog at: http://aclufl.wordpress.com/
The ACLU of Florida encourages individuals who believe their rights have been violated during the convention to fill out the “Get Help” form linked at the top of our website: www.aclufl.org. (Note: the ACLU of Florida will not be equipped to provide emergency legal assistance at the RNC. The National Lawyers Guild will have legal observers at the RNC and an assistance hotline at 813-241-0101. The National Lawyers Guild also has a website set up for the RNC: www.tampa.nlg.org)
ACLU of Florida staff will be available to provide comment on the rights of protesters and other issues regarding civil liberties and the RNC. ACLU of Florida staff may be reached in the following ways:
Baylor Johnson, ACLU of Florida Online Advocacy Coordinator (inside the event zone):
ACLU of Florida Mid-Florida Regional Office (Tampa): (813) 286 - 3439 jhamiltonhenry@aclufl.org
ACLU of Florida General Media Office (Miami):
The ACLU of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our web site at: www.aclufl.org.