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The Green Party of New JerseyBruce Afran
& Hamilton Township
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On July 11, civil rights attorney--and Green Party candidate for Senate from New Jersey--Bruce Afran was the featured speaker at a press conference at Hamilton Township Municipal Hall in Mercer County. Below is the coverage from The Trentonian newspaper:
Calling it a "chilling effect on free speech," New Jersey Green Party senatorial candidate Bruce Afran denounced the Hamilton council's decision to ban residents from bringing signs into the council chambers.
"When a municipality can impose such a rule, we come close to a police state," said Afran, as he stood outside the municipal building Tuesday afternoon.
Afran was joined by Carl Mayer, a former Democrat who switched to the Green Party after losing to Congressman Rush Holt in the 1998 primaries.
He was also joined by Stuart Azarchi and Sam Naro, both of whom filed notices of claim Tuesday, saying their first amendment rights were violated when they were threatened with arrest for bringing signs into the council chambers.
Azarchi ran afoul of council several weeks ago, when he brought a batch of signs to the municipal building and staged a protest outside [against what he considered to be exorbitant and unnecessary spending by Mayor Glen Gilmore]. Minutes before the council meeting began, he brought the signs with him into the council chamber. He removed them after he was approached by several police officers.
Since then, Azarchi and several cohorts have worn bright yellow T-shirts, stating that the Hamilton council is violating their free speech rights by not allowing signs into the council chambers.
"It's unconstitutional, un-American, undemocratic and we're going to undo it," Mayer said.
(c) The Trentonian 2000