Opinion ID: 3037685
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Advertising Provision

Text: I also respectfully dissent from the majority’s conclusion, found at section II(B)(2)(b)(1)(a)(ii), that the advertising instruction vitiates the narrow tailoring of the ordinance for large groups. The ordinance and instruction do not in any way regulate or limit advertising. The ordinance requires a permit for assemblies that may impede free use of the public ways by others or that will not comply with traffic regulations.4 It also requires a permit for activities involving groups of 150 or more on city property.5 The majority properly concludes that this permit requirement, as it stands, is constitutionally permissible because any group this large on city property is bound to affect use of the property by others equally entitled to use it. The problem the majority identified is with the administrative instruction, which deems events publicized over radio, television or “widely-distributed print media” to be events with 150 or more people.6 I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that this in some way restricts advertising or vitiates the narrow tailoring of the ordinance. As anyone who has organized a demonstration, concert, lecture, parade, or picnic knows, one cannot predict in advance how many people will show up. One publicizes the event and hopes for the best. Turnout is likely to be affected not only by support for the cause but also by the weather. I have been to boring lectures with sexy titles or famous speak- 4 Id. 5 Requiring a permit for “[a]ny activity of a group of 150 or more persons on City owned, controlled, or maintained property.” SMMC §4.68.040(b). 6 The instruction requires a community events permit for “[a]ny activity or event of 150 or more persons on City owned, controlled or maintained property not subject to the requirements in subsection (a) of this section. For purposes of this subsection, any activity or even which the applicant intends to advertise via radio, television and/or widely-distributed print media shall be deemed to be an activity or event of 150 or more persons.” Administrative Instruction II-4-4 (III)(1)(b). 6708 SANTA MONICA FOOD v. CITY OF SANTA MONICA ers that had people standing outside the doors just to hear a little, yet I also went to an appearance by Milton Friedman in the 1960’s that drew only four faculty members and one student. Attendance is inherently unpredictable, but municipalities and event organizers have to do some planning to avoid the risk of a traffic or public health catastrophe if thousands of people come to an enormous event that provides no toilets or causes a traffic jam that prevents people from getting to work or, perhaps, to voting booths, and blocks ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks. The size of a public demonstration cannot be known in advance, yet has to be predicted somehow in order to properly provide for public safety and fairly shared use of public property. After all, people are entitled to use the public spaces not only to express political opinions, but also, with every bit as much entitlement, to go to work, walk their dogs, toss frisbees, or get a six pack of beer. This administrative instruction is a legitimate, common-sense means of channeling the discretion of administrative personnel, since it is impossible to predict how big an event will be. The majority cites no case that would make the advertising instruction unconstitutional and I see no justification for abridging common sense. Event organizers who advertise “via radio, television and/or widelydistributed print media,” as the administrative instruction provides, are certainly not trying to hold attendance down, as though it were a wedding reception that cost the bride’s family $200 a plate. It can reasonably be inferred from mass advertising that they are hoping for a large turnout and trying to get all the people they can. If the organizers advertise on radio and television without getting a permit, but in the end get a disappointing turnout of less than 150 people, they cannot be prosecuted, because, although the instructions say they should have sought a permit, they have not violated the ordinance itself; a violation requires that the event on city property actually have “150 or SANTA MONICA FOOD v. CITY OF SANTA MONICA 6709 more persons.”7 If they advertise widely and hope for the best, then the neutral permit procedure gives them a safe harbor in case the advertising attracts a big turnout. Even if the organizers without a permit ring the bell with an advertising campaign that draws hundreds of demonstrators, they can still avoid prosecution if they give a little attention to the ordinance and the rights of other members of the public. All they have to do under the administrative instructions is break the demonstration into groups of under 50, walk two abreast, follow traffic laws, and avoid impeding others.8 That way the commuters, shoppers, and dog walkers can peacefully pass through. Even groups of up to 1,999 people can still proceed but with additional restrictions on how the group is divided up.9 7 Mirro-Dynamics Corp. v. United States, 374 F.2d 14, 16 (9th Cir. 1967) (Citing Hirshon v. United States, 116 F. Supp. 135, 136 (Ct. Cl. 1953), for the proposition that administrative instructions cannot go beyond the underlying law). 8 Administrative Instruction II-4-4(V)(4)(a) provides that “[a] march, procession, walk, run or assembly will not interfere with the free use by others of a public sidewalk or City park path and is not required to obtain a Community Event Permit if the total group consists of 500 or fewer participants and if all participants: • Assemble, march, walk, or run in groups of less than 50, 2 abreast (to create spacing between groups), and give way to others they encounter on the public way. • do not obstruct traffic flow. • obey all traffic regulations. • obey all park regulations.” 9 Administrative Instruction II-4-4(V)(4)(b) provides that “[a] march, procession, walk, or run that exceeds 500 participants, but is less than 2,000 participants, will not interfere with the free use by others of a public sidewalk or a City park path and is not required to obtain a Community Event Permit if the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section are met, if start times are staggered to create spacing between groups, if private property is used as the start/finish location, and if the event organizer provides a plan for participants’ parking. All assemblies on a public sidewalk or park path that exceed 500 participants will require a Community Event Permit.” 6710 SANTA MONICA FOOD v. CITY OF SANTA MONICA This is about as narrowly tailored as an ordinance can be, considering the impossibility of predicting in advance how successful a demonstration will be. And some such ordinance is necessary to enable people besides the demonstrators to make reasonable use of the municipal property on the day of the demonstration.