*** UPDATE ***
PLEASE READ—VERY IMPORTANT
SINCE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS HAS GONE OVER 5,000 WE NO LONGER HAVE THE OPTION OF SENDING OUT A MASS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE, SO PLEASE CHECK THIS PAGE FREQUENTLY FOR UPDATES.
CONCERNING THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON TUESDAY, APRIL 20TH:
First of all, I would like to express my excitement and gratitude toward the overwhelming response we have gotten to this event. Neither I nor Lara expected this to get so big, and we are both very pleased to see that people seem to be so eager to take action against a law they find to be unjust. However, both Lara and I feel that this event has gotten a little out of our control, and it seems from the comments that have appeared on the page, that people are expecting it to be a much bigger thing than we planned. I would like to take the time now to lay out exactly what our intentions were and always have been since the beginning, to dispel any misunderstandings or wrong assumptions, and to provide further information on the event.
The word “protest” in the name of this event, I now realize, may have been misleading. We want people *TO* protest by attending the meeting and presenting their view in a respectful and orderly manner; we never intended to organize *A* protest, with rioting and picket signs and all that. It is of vital importance that everyone planning on attending this event understand that this “protest” cannot be angry or violent in any way, shape or form—we are not dealing with a nationwide issue, we are only trying to prevent a law from being passed in the city of San Luis Obispo, and any opposition manifested in passionate, irrational sensationalism will only hurt the cause, not help it.
Furthermore, Lara and I never really planned on organizing anything. Our intentions were only to motivate a few people to attend the City Council meeting and present their opinion if they chose to—this was never supposed to be a group thing. We cannot afford to appear threatening. If we form an “unruly gathering” to protest the ordinance concerning unruly gatherings, we will only be proving their point. We need to present ourselves as informed, intelligent, and respectful citizens; if we band together to form a mob of disgruntled students who only want to defend their right to party, they will not take us seriously. I actually think that we would have more of an impact going as separate individuals than as a group because it shows that the issue is important enough to people without the help of a group to rally them together.
We really cannot afford to have anyone attend the meeting who isn’t serious about the cause. You do not have to speak if you would prefer not to, you can just be there to show your support, but all of you with the “fuck the police” attitudes—you know who you are—please do everyone a favor and do not come. First of all, as I already explained, that kind of approach to the situation will only hurt the cause, and it could actually get Lara and I personally in a lot of trouble because if anything goes wrong, all of this can be traced back to us. So again, unless you honestly think you can contribute to the cause, PLEASE do not come.
Alright, now for the details of the event. Lara already outlined this nicely: all you need to do is to show up at San Luis Obispo City Council (see the address posted above) at 7:00pm. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, you can just show up for support if that’s what you’d like, but if you do want to speak, you must go to City Hall earlier in the day, pick up a speaking form, and fill it out. At the meeting, you will have three minutes to speak. And that’s it! There will be no rallies, no pickets, no organization of any kind. Come if you want, speak if you want, but understand that this is not an organized protest event.
Thank you, and I hope to see a good number of you there. :)
--Sabina Miklowitz
*******
On Tuesday, April 6, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously in favor of an "unruly gathering ordinance" that would allow police officers to fine hosts up to $700 as a first offense for holding parties of 20 or more people that were deemed to be a "disturbance." The fines for an "unruly gathering" are about twice the amount of those for noise violations, but the only established difference between the two is the number of people present. In addition, property owners of those given "unruly gathering" citations will be fined $500 for the first offense. Unruly gathering citations can even be given at sober events; as councilman Allen Settle told The Tribune, “If you’re having a wedding reception in your backyard, that could be an unruly gathering.”
The ordinance will be put to a final vote on April 20th. If you feel, as I do, that this law goes too far and is an infringement on our right to assemble, join me at San Luis Obispo's City Council meeting on 4/20 (figures they'd schedule it for that day) to protest. Invite your friends! The more people we have there to protest, the bigger influence we'll have. :)
For more information, you can read up on the ordinance at some other websites:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/04/06/1094001/slo-city-council-passes-unruly.html
http://www.ksby.com/news/unruly-gathering-ordinance-being-discussed-in-san-luis-obispo/
http://mustangdaily.net/unruly-gathering-law-passed/
*****UPDATE*****
THE ORIGINAL TIME THAT WAS PUT UP ON THE EVENT PAGE WAS INCORRECT. THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS AT 7PM, NOT 4.
Also, if you would like to speak before the Council on April 20th, please go earlier in the day to City Hall and pick up a speaking form and fill it out. You will have three minutes to say what you want to say.
AND... PLEASE DON'T BE STUPID!
If we go to this angry and upset, saying things like "fuck the cops" and "screw the man" THEY WILL NOT SHUT DOWN THE ORDINANCE
Rather, we will have proved them right and they will pass this. We do not get a say in this, we must persuade them that the decision they are about to make is wrong.
WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR:
1) OUR BASIC RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE
2) BEING ABLE TO HAVE A SOCIAL GATHERING WITHOUT FEAR OF POLICE INVASION
3) OUR INHERITED RIGHT AS COLLEGE STUDENTS TO HAVE LARGE GATHERINGS, SUCH AS SORORITY/FRATERNITY MIXERS, CLUB MEETINGS, AND PEACEFUL PARTIES.
The members of the City Council are well educated, intelligent people. They will not and do not care about our "right to party." They care about the upper class and middle class families who don't want their perfect neighborhoods to be disturbed by unruly people.
WE MUST SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE NOT UNRULY.
We must show them that we have the capability to be calm and peaceful, otherwise they will just pass the ordinance without a second thought.
USE LOGIC AND REASON, DO NOT USE ANGER AND SLURS TO MAKE YOUR POINT.
I hope to see you all there!
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