NEW YORK, Sept. 29 -- Yesterday, The New York City Coalition for Accountability Now (NYC CAN), a group comprising 9/11 family members, first responders and survivors, led 300 New Yorkers from Battery Park to City Hall in protest of the City's attempt to block the referendum for a fresh probe of the 9/11 attacks from going on the November ballot.Today, the Court ordered litigants to present arguments before Judge Edward Lehner at a hearing scheduled for 9:30AM, Tuesday at the New York Supreme Court.
On Sunday, 9/11 family member Manny Badillo welcomed the crowd at Battery Park, "Today we are marching peaceably to let the world know that the City of NY is defying the will of the people to have one question on the ballot, the question to have a proper independent investigation to answer 100% of the questions raised by the 9/11 families."
Mark Crispin Miller, author and professor of Media Studies at NYU spoke of the lack of accountability. He noted that after 9/11 "no heads rolled"; until recently when Obama adviser Van Jones was forced to resign because he signed the "9/11 Truth Statement" in 2004. (http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041026093059633) Miller said he too signed the statement and would sign it again "in ten seconds."
At City Hall, Daniel Sunjata, star of Fox's "Rescue Me", gave a rousing speech challenging the integrity of the 9/11 Commission. Specifically he cited the fact that 60% of the Commissioners have admitted deficiencies in their own investigation. Speaking about the City's challenge to NYC CAN's ballot initiative, Sunjata said, "Although 80,000 New Yorkers have voiced their desire in writing to include on November's mayoral ballot, the referendum for a new investigation, the City has responded by saying it has no jurisdiction into the murder of 3000 of its own citizens. Look at the lengths to which they have gone to evade allowing the residents of this city a chance to vote for answers and accountability."
Bob McIlvaine wrapped up the rally emotionally, saying, "I have one job in life until the day I die. . . to find out who murdered my son."
On Friday, the Court-appointed Referee submitted his recommendations in which he sided with the City. This morning, the Petitioners' attorney, Dennis McMahon, filed a motion requesting a hearing to allow for arguments challenging the Referee's "fatally flawed" report. According to McMahon, "No other case pending in the New York courts has a higher priority, so we expect a judgment this Wednesday." 9/11 family members, first responders and survivors will be in attendance at the hearing tomorrow morning.
If the Petition overcomes all legal challenges, goes to the November ballot and passes, it would lead to the creation of a local, independent commission with subpoena power that would be tasked with comprehensively reinvestigating the attacks. http://www.nyccan.org
SOURCE NYC CAN
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