In addition, most downtown businesses are planning to close their doors, and cover their signs and windows with black plastic for the duration of the parade. The ''ghost town'' response is designed to show the community's disdain for the parade to the national media, which is expected to attend the event. Keyes hopes the media also will be drawn to the fairgrounds to learn what Sandpoint's really about, he said. A downtown businessman also is trying to get approval to hang a banner across First Avenue, expressing the city's support for racial diversity. Meanwhile, the City Council will soon vote on a resolution proclaiming support for human rights that's nearly identical to one recently passed by the Bonner County Commission.
City officials have yet to issue a permit for the parade.
They're waiting to see whether the Aryans get approval from the Idaho Transportation Department. State approval is necessary because the parade route uses part of First Avenue, which is a state highway. Yosef Abramowitz, president of the Union of Councils, and Naftalin submitted the report to Secretary of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser. They said they hoped the document would help the Bush administration integrate human rights and religious freedom considerations into U.S. decision-making. The cosmetics giant recently angered actors when Liz Hurley crossed Screen Actors Guild picket lines to do commercials.