Act To Stop Draconian, Unconstitutional Film-Permit Rules in NYC!

Speaking of fascism, here are the film-permit rules (PDF) that "centrist" Mayor (and possible independent presidential candidate) Bloomberg is proposing:

Under new rules proposed on May 25, 2007 by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcast (MOFTB), any group of two or more people using a handheld camera (still or video) for more than 30 minutes at a single location (defined as a 100-foot area) would have to apply for and obtain a permit and would have to present proof of $1 million in insurance (unless a waiver was obtained). Also under the new rules, any group of five or more people using a single tripod for more than 10 minutes would have to obtain a permit and have insurance.

The above paragraph is from the NYCLU -- more here (PDF) and here (web page).

What to do, from the NYCLU site:

What can I do about the new rules?

At the request of the New York Civil Liberties Union, the MOFTB has agreed to reopen the process by which members of the public can comment on the new rules. The original comment period closed on June 27, but the City has now agreed to accept comments until Friday, August 3, 2007. Comments should be sent to the following person, by e-mail or regular mail:

Julianne Cho
Assistant Commissioner
Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting
1697 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10019
jcho@film.nyc.gov

What form should comments take?

Public comments do not need to be technical, either in their form or substance. It is fine to send a regular letter or an e-mail expressing any comments you have about the proposed permit rules.

If you have questions, please contact the New York Civil Liberties Union at 212-607-3300 (ask for Chris Dunn). Please send a copy of any comments you file to cdunn@nyclu.org.

Sign the petition here.