The NYC/Chicago connection on declaration of “Art IS Speech” issue:

Chris Drew, Street Artist (1949-2012) who  for 25 years as an artist and founder of the Uptown Multi-Cultural Arts Center was trying to create a vibrant art scene in Chicago, especially downtown, where selling art is prohibited in the most viable locations without a “FREE SPEECH PERMIT”!

reference, Sam Love, Chris Drew Legacy video:

http://youtu.be/E3uTfAbf0ew

Yes, the permit is FREE, but restricted to 7 locations downtown, must be pre-approved, and you Still may not get it! In a recent screening of my socio/political documentary (1/24/15) at Revolution Books, Chicago “Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist”(99 min)– http://youtu.be/HCD_f32k8RI a deep postfilm discussion which included myself, an engaged audience, and probono attorney, Mark Weinberg,http://youtu.be/-BwV5tadZQ0

(note: team included Joshua Kutnick, http://youtu.be/HCD_f32k8RI

probono attorney for the Criminal Defense, and won vs State Attorney Alvarez, by Judge Sacks ruling as the law was UNCONSTITUTIONAL, 2012)–was engaged on how rights varied with location, profiling, and topics

reference recent article by Deanna Isaacs, Chicago Reader:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/illinois-eavesdropping-law-warrantless-surveillance-aclu/Content?oid=16244806 such as…”

Hey, the New Illinois Eavesdropping Law is Back!

In NYC it is OK to tape Cops at all times?” (the answer is YES!)

Verified by the man who was arrested over 40 times..and won!

Robert Lederman,President and founder of A.R.T.I.S.T. NYC (Artists’ Response To Illegal State Tactics) working since 1993 in order to fight the legal and political struggle for full First Amendment protection involving the creation, display and sale of art on NYC streets and in Parks

http://gothamist.com/2008/11/24/robert_lederman_artist_activist.php

I recently got an email from Robert who stated:

I’m sure police all over the US see a “need” to restrict the public’s

right to tape them, especially with all the recent videos depicting

violent police overreactions.

Fortunately, here in NY there is no ambiguity. The NYPD’s own

documents describe the public’s right to tape them at all times

so locally this is a non-issue.

– Robert Lederman – Jan 2014.

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So you say “..you want a Revolution?” (Beatles lyrics, you can sing loudly now) well, you many want to reconsider, since there is this FREE SPEECH permit required in Chicago—so that may delay or restrict your right or negate your free speech, Well…hope that is not TOO inconvenient—————–