Anti-Wall Street protesters to join NY Halloween parade

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A man carries a cardboard replica of President Barack Obama at the Occupy Wall St. protests in New York's Zucotti Park October 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK | Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:36pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anti-Wall St protesters plan to join New York City's Halloween parade on Monday and although several people have been arrested at recent rallies for wearing masks, demonstrators will have a free pass for the holiday.

New York state has a law that bans masked gatherings and police have enforced the rule at protests by the Occupy Wall Street movement against economic inequality, which set up camp in a park in the city's financial district on September 17.

But the law, dating back to 1845, allows people to wear masks if it is for "a masquerade party or like entertainment."

"Exemptions for such occasions, including masquerade balls, are provided for under the statute," said New York Police spokesman Paul Browne when asked if police would enforce the law banning masked gatherings at the Halloween parade.

Occupy Wall Street has set up Occupy Halloween and said on its website, www.occupyhalloween.org, that protesters had been invited to join the 39th annual Village Halloween Parade.

Organizers of the parade, which attracts tens of thousands of onlookers and is broadcast live on local television, were not immediately available for comment.

Occupy Halloween urged protesters to organize costume-themed blocs, suggesting ideas such as Wall Street zombies, corporate vampires and V-masks -- the Guy Fawkes mask made popular by the graphic novel "V for Vendetta."

"For them to enforce that rule on Halloween would be downright un-American," said Occupy Halloween organizer Gan Golan said of the mask law. The parade is "another opportunity for us to be creative and let people see our message."

He could not say how many protesters they were expecting to join the parade.

Protesters say they are upset the billions of dollars in bank bailouts doled out during the recession allowed banks to resume earning huge profits while average Americans have had no relief from high unemployment and job insecurity.

They also believe the richest 1 percent of Americans do not pay their fair share in taxes.

New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said: "Behavior that falls within the (New York state mask law's) exemption cannot be criminalized simply because it has a political message."

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

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NYC Labor parade mixed with reflection on September 11

Published September 10, 2011| Associated Press

NEW YORK - Members of hundreds of unions are honoring labor by marching in a parade of the city of New York laced also with memories of the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Parade of NYC Central work of the Council will be held Saturday, although it commemorates the labour day. The group says that more than 50 000 members of the Union are expected. They include firefighters and other workers in uniform.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is walking with workers.

Before a mass pre-parade at the Cathedral Saint-Patrick, truck driver and member of the Teamsters Mark Vigilante recalls hauling debris from the site of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of 2001.

One of his friends, firefighter Thomas Kennedy, was killed.

Then that vigilant is reflecting on its raw memories of the attacks, he said "life must go".

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Man pleads guilty in MLK Day Parade bomb case

SPOKANE - A man with important ties to white supremacists pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges he planted a bomb on a route of parade of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Spokane, wash., targeting minorities.

Kevin Harpham, 37, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors for a range of penalties recommended 27 to 32 years in only a few days in jail before his trial in District Court.

The pipe bomb was loaded with lead sinker procumbent in a chemical and could have caused massive losses, prosecutors said.

Harpham said the US District Court judge Justin Quackenbush that it took it about a month to build the bomb. He admitted placing the device on the route of the parade in the attempt to commit a hate crime.

The backpack bomb was discovered by workers for parade and off before it could explode.

"This community was terrorised on 17 January, when this happened," U.S. Attorney Mike Ormsby said after the hearing. "I hope that the healing that must occur as a result can begin."

Harpham acted alone, said Ormsby.

"There is no evidence to suggest that someone else has participated in this event", he said.

Ormsby praised the various agencies of law enforcement which has gathered evidence leading to the arrest of Harpham March 9. No there was no particular tip that led officers to Harpham, said Ormsby. On the contrary, it is the evidence of the bomb itself, he said.

The detonator was a remote starter purchased on the Internet. The shrapnel that would have mutilated victims was weighed lead purchased from Wal-Mart. The DNA of Harpham was on the handle of the backpack that held the bomb. After his arrest, agents have found photos in a digital camera that included images of Harpham at the parade, photos of young black children walking collection and a Jewish man who wore a yarmulke.

A key was the discovery of a considerable number of postings by Harpham, using a pen name, over a period of years on a white supremacist called Vanguard News Network Web site.

"He says other separatist and white supremacy, it is", said assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Harrington.

The bomb was planted "to continue his racist beliefs", Harrington told the judge.

The judge asked Harpham if he placed the bomb in an effort to hurt people because of their race, colour or national origin.

"Yes," Harpham replied.

Ormsby said that Harpham offered no explanation of why he chose to commit a hate crime now.

The plea agreement charged Harpham attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and hate crime to place the bomb in an effort to target minorities. Harpham spoke clearly when he said "guilty" to each of the two leaders.

He will be sentenced on 30 November.

"Incidents fueled by hate like this have no place in a civilized society," said Thomas Perez, Deputy U.S. Attorney General for civil rights. "Fortunately, no one is hurt by this man's depraved act."

Public defender, Roger Peven, issues outside the hearing room has not responded and was not available for comment later.

Harpham, originally was charged with committing a hate crime with a firearm in a crime of violence, try to use a weapon of mass destruction and to possess an unregistered explosive device unauthorized. He could face life in prison.

A resident of Addy, Harpham is a veteran of the army which has extensive ties with white supremacist groups, but no records of past crimes.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, tracks hate groups, said that Harpham made over 1,000 assignments on the Vanguard News Network. The Centre also said that Harpham belonged to a neo-Nazi group called the National Alliance.

Harpham served from 1996 to 1999 in the U.S. Army in what is now joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma. His lawyers have said that Harpham had not been used recently.

He remained in prison, County of Spokane without bail since his arrest.

Federal prosecutors will be argued for a sentence of 32 years. Counsel for the Harpham will seek to 27 years. If Quackenbush recommends a sentence more or less, the case could still go to trial. Under this agreement, Harpham remain on probation for the rest of his life once he leaves prison.

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