[saif]

Should supporters of President Bush have a right to reserve prime positions along the inaugural parade route and not have to share them with protesters?

WASHINGTON (Jan. 18) - Supporters of President Bush have a right to reserve prime positions along the inaugural parade route and do not have to share them with protesters, a U.S. judge ruled Tuesday.

The ruling by District Court Judge Paul Friedman is a setback for an anti-war coalition called ANSWER, which had sued the government for greater public access to the inaugural parade on Thursday.

Authorities plan to close off 100 blocks in downtown Washington and use bomb-sniffing dogs and military troopers for the first inaugural event since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Those who provided funds for the $40 million inauguration ceremony will view the parade from reserved bleachers lining much of Pennsylvania Avenue, between the Capitol and the White House.

ANSWER, an acronym for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, said the bleachers left little space for protesters or ordinary citizens who might want to view the parade.

"The sidewalks, for this particular moment, should be open to all," said ANSWER attorney Carl Messineo.

The judge said, however, that the National Park Service was acting appropriately by controlling access. "It's clear, as I think it always has been, that the official inaugural parade and the bleachers connected with it get the bulk of the space," he said.

The Park Service has given ANSWER a space along the parade route, next to the courthouse where the case was argued. Eight other spots have also been set aside for protesters.

Protesters will have the right to distribute literature and carry signs, but the Secret Service will not allow them to be held aloft on sticks or poles that could be used as weapons.


01/18/05 18:43 ET