MASEL SEEKS STREET PERMIT TO AIR IDEAS DURING MAYOR EVENT

In the tradition of Abbie Hoffman, who organized anti-war protests
around the 1968 Chicago Democratic convention, local activist Ben Masel
is looking to make the most of the national spotlight that is sure to
shine on Madison next summer when the U.S. Conference of Mayors holds
its annual meeting at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

With the conference still a year away, Masel has applied for a city
permit to use the 100 and 200 blocks of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
on June 14-15 to stage a "peaceable assembly" for the free expression of
ideas.

The mayor's conference, which is expected to bring up to 350 mayors of
America's largest cities to Madison, as well as scores of national news
media, members of Congress and perhaps even President Bush or Vice
President Dick Cheney, is slated for June 14-18.

Masel said he wants to ensure that alternative ideas are presented in
the vicinity of the conference.

"The idea is to have a space available for free expression, rather than
risk that the city would reserve all the available space closest to the
convention center for themselves and leave any expressive activity half
a mile away" said Masel, who has rallied for years on behalf of a number
of causes, including the legalization of marijuana. He is the organizer
of Weedstock, a controversial Madison-area summer festival, as well as
the Harvest Festival, held nearly every fall in Madison.

Masel said he envisions advocates and groups setting up literature
tables and using amplified speakers to share their views on a variety of
topics, the legalization of marijuana being among them. He estimated in
his city permit application that 900 people would attend the event, the
specifics of which have yet to be planned.

"When I heard the Conference of Mayors convention was going to be in
Madison, I figured I would jump in and hold the forum and then see who
wants to play," he said.

Masel's street use permit needs to be reviewed and approved by the
city's street use staff team, which is made up of employees who oversee
such areas as traffic engineering, transit, public facilities and
police.

Kelli Lamberty, the community event coordinator for the city, said the
staff team usually doesn't act on applications until a month or two
before the event. But, as the chairwoman of the staff team, Lamberty did
let other members know about Masel's application at a meeting in late
May.

She said that events are usually approved unless they would present such
problems as the interruption of pedestrian and vehicular traffic or
interference with police and fire protection. Lamberty said that so far
no one else has submitted an application to reserve Martin Luther King
Jr. Boulevard during the mayor's conference.

And she said that Masel has a good track record with the city.

"It's not like we've had problems with his events," said Lamberty,
referring to the Harvest Festival. "He knows his rights and that's well
within them and this appears to be too."

Mayoral spokesman Ryan Mulcahy said Mayor Sue Bauman, who lobbied hard
to woo the mayor's conference to Madison, had no comment on Masel's
proposed event other than to say his request would be handled like any
other request to reserve public space.

"It will be reviewed by the street use staff team in a timely fashion,"
he said.