Union Square Art Vendors Lose Appeal

ByDon

A New York City street artist known for fighting restrictions regarding how to display and sell his work in Union Square lost a fight Wednesday in the 2nd Circuit, where decades earlier he had licensing requirements declared unconstitutional.
Robert Lederman, the founder of Artists’ Resistance to Illegal State Tactics (ARTIST), said one year ago police arrested him 44 times for challenging policies he calls unconstitutional.
Prosecutors have allegedly never been able to convict him. In a challenge to former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s “quality of life” campaign, for example, Lederman once won the right to hawk art on the steps of the Capitol Building without a permit.
Lederman and his colleague Jack Nesbitt also filed a lawsuit in 2010 that claimed New York City had “waged a counter-movement to quash” the advances they had made in their First Amendment battles.
The suit accused New York City of showing favor to city-sanctioned vendors around Central Park, the Union Square Greenmarket, and Holiday Markets at Columbus Circle and Union Square.

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    Please be advised that curbside composting began on October 6, 2024. The program is mandatory and requires buildings to separate food and yard waste from other trash and recycling items. However, there is a grace period until April 2025 to allow buildings to implement the proper procedures and get everything in order.

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    Please see the attached DSNY flyer detailing acceptable materials for the composting bin. Additional guidance and recommendations include:

    • Drain liquids before placing food scraps in the composting bin.
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    • To prevent odors, store scraps in the freezer if you cannot bring them down immediately.
    • Newspapers, paper bags and certified compostable bags are acceptable in the composting bin. Plastic bags may be thrown in the bin as the DSNY has a method for removing them. Hard plastic, metal, and glass are not permitted.

    As a reminder, plastic, cardboard, metal, and glass should be recycled separately and not placed in the composting bin. Regular trash items including Styrofoam, pet waste, or diapers must not be thrown into the composting bin.

    Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or Mecca at 212-986-0001 or via email at TCunningham@akam.com or MWhite@akam.com.

    Thank you.