http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/06/1685772.php
From Indybay:
On Wednesday, June 16th, the Music Concourse Community Partnership
ordered their construction contractor to begin demolishing this
priceless, century-old pedestrian tunnel in spite of their notification
that Judge Warren will rule on the legality of their garage within the
next two weeks. This is what privatization looks like; you get to watch
while they destroy your park, public property, and while the corporate
media provides an illusion of legitimacy to the destruction. Act now,
or you will lose the remaining two tunnels. MCCP has taken the
Concourse.
061604_hellman_strike__two.jpg, image/jpeg, 640x483
Here's the latest news available on the illegal corporate taking of the
Music Concourse area in Golden Gate Park. The bozos at the Recreation
and Parks Department have turned over conrol of the park to the
pro-privatization "Friends of Rec and Parks," which was founded by
Walter Shorenstein over thirty years ago. They've come a long way, at
the expense of the commons, and now you can see the results:
Reclaim the Music Concourse & the Historic Pedestrian Tunnels!!!
Rather than wait for Superior Court Judge James Warren to rule on the
legality of the 800-stall garage project in the Music Concourse of
Golden Gate Park, the Music Concourse Community Partnership (MCCP), a
private corporation headed by billionaire financier Warren Hellman,
began demolishing the above historic tunnel on April 22nd -- Earth Day.
The MCCP promised the Court of Appeal that the Music Concourse would
sustain no irreversible damage. The private corporation has fenced off
OUR PUBLIC PARK and chain-sawed mature Japanese cherry trees that were
a gift to San Francisco from Japan. Construction crews demolished the
108-year-old northeast pedestrian tunnel in about five days. The MCCP
had not even received a legal DPT permit to close the concourse roads
on the days they did the most destruction. A permit was back-dated and
issued retroactively.
Now they threaten to destroy the two remaining tunnels. With more DPT
permits in place, the southern half of the Music Concourse, including
the southeast and southwest tunnels, is completely vulnerable to
drilling and demolition activities. The court may not act in time to
stop this. But you can.
It is likely that only a civil direct action and occupation of the
tunnels could stop their destruction in the event the court does not
rule in time. There is no real security at the site, and there is no
legal signage against trespassing. The contractor will arrest no one
for trespassing because they don't want the media exposure of their
ongoing illegal and willful destruction of public property.
Contact Mayor Newsom at (415) 554-6141, and ask him to protect the
Music Concourse while Judge Warren takes the time needed to rule in the
matter. (Newsom voted to approve the Bechtel designed boondoggle, and
his corporate sponsor is Warren Hellman. Will the new mayor take a
stand against the people who created him?!)
Call your Supervisor for the same.
Write: Mayor Gavin Newsom / 1 Dr. Carleton B. Goodlett Place, San
Francisco, CA 94102.
Request that they stop the MCCP’s wave of destruction and protect the
Commons until the Superior Court rules. Support our equal and fair
access to the Courts. Take Back The Park!
Save Golden Gate Park! P.O. Box 170051 San Francisco, CA 94117
415-621-3090
http://www.shorenstein.com/advisoryboard/advisory_board.htm
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"Don't hate the media, become the media."- Jello Biafra
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