City of Decatur's Statement on Dueling Rallies

Patch asked Linda Harris, the City of Decatur spokeswoman, for a statement on the political rallies planned for Saturday morning on the Decatur Square.

Republicans don't have a city permit but say they'll rally at 9:30 a.m. Women for Obama obtained a city permit and will rally at 10 a.m. (The Republican rally was first called a Women for Romney rally.)

We issued a permit for a bandstand rental for an event on Saturday.  We do not issue permits for bandstand rentals for two events at the same time (for example, we would not issue a bandstand rental permit for two weddings or two birthday parties on the same day at the same time). 

 We would be happy to work with the Women for Romney organizers to find another date and/or time if they wanted to reserve the bandstand for one of their events.  We have not had a request for a bandstand rental  from the Women for Romney organizers.  No one from the Women for Romney organizeration has returned our phone calls or answered our email.

 Anyone can gather at any event and, as long as they do not interfere with the operations of the group/event who rented the bandstand, it is within their constitutional right to do so.  We do not regulate the right to assembly or free speech.  This is how we treat every bandstand rental and/or special event permit and it is how we intend to treat this one.