Costa Mesa drops restrictions on march

Paul Clinton

As an olive branch to organizers of the second Orange County Dyke

March, city leaders have backed away from the bulk of a 21-point rule

book imposed on organizers of the Saturday parade.

After a series of meetings with attorneys from the group on

Friday, city officials elected to drop restrictions on the use of the

motorcycles and a requirement that riders submit copies of their

driver’s licenses, said Tom Wood, the acting city attorney.

“We were trying to reach an accommodation to ensure the public is

protected in their safety, but still allow the participants to have

their free expression,” Wood said.

Last week, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union

challenged the city’s operating permit on the grounds that it

hampered the group’s First Amendment rights to gather publicly and

express their views.

The Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County is

staging the rally and march beginning at noon on Saturday at Lions

Park.

A spokeswoman with the group lauded the city’s decision to drop

restrictions.

“We’re really pleased,” said Tricia Aynes. “It’s going to allow us

to go forward with the march as planned.”

The group applied for a city permit to hold the event for a second

consecutive year June 18. Shortly after that, the city issued a

permit with 18 restrictions. At an Aug. 4 meeting, the City Council

broadened its restrictions to 21.

Twelve conditions have been retained, Wood said.

The hard-line stance, officials said, came about after a rider in

last year’s event popped a wheelie on her bike after a police officer

asked her not to.

Despite the city’s concessions, Dyke March organizers said they

would continue to pursue the lawsuit against Costa Mesa to stave off

any similar restrictions next year.

“We will still have our day in court,” Aynes said. “The lawsuit is

designed to settle this matter once and for all.”

Councilman Mike Scheafer, an insurance agent himself, said the

restrictions were designed to protect the city from legal risk. He

said the group is still required to present “financial

responsibility” in the form of insurance coverage.

“What if they lose control of the bike and they run over

somebody,” Scheafer said. “Is the city responsible? We owe it to the

citizens of Costa Mesa [to make sure] that we don’t fall into a

litigation or liability trap.”

Scheafer said he hoped to avoid an incident similar to the one

that derailed the Fish Fry. That long-running community event was

held at Orange Coast College in 2000. At the event, a woman claimed

she hurt her ankle when she fell off a curb and sued. Her civil

lawsuit was settled out of court for $30,000.

The event was halted for two years until this June, when a

scaled-back version was put on at Lions Park.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.