Site for Protest Displeases Burk

The director of Georgia’s American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday it’s possible Martha Burk’s National Council of Women’s Organization will accept a compromise Masters protest site offered by the sheriff of Augusta, Ga., but that a federal lawsuit against the city’s protest ordinance will go on.

Debbie Seagraves, director of Georgia’s ACLU chapter, said the issue of whether to accept a 5.1-acre site owned by Augusta National Golf Club to be used for a demonstration against the club’s membership policy could be decided today in a conference call between Burk and representatives from Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH coalition, another group that intends to join the protest.

“We’ll determine whether or not it’s OK,” said Seagraves, who also said that whatever is decided would not affect the state ACLU’s lawsuit that was filed earlier Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Augusta.

“The lawsuit doesn’t hinge on that.”

The suit, filed by Gerry Webber, legal director of the Georgia ACLU, challenges the city’s protest ordinance that was amended in February to require groups who wish to demonstrate on city property to apply for permission 20 days in advance of the planned protest.

Burk’s application for a permission to protest included two sites near the club, but neither one was part of Sheriff Ronnie Strength’s response Wednesday when he called them “unacceptable.”.

The sheriff cited traffic problems as well as the potential to disturb the peace in the areas Burk preferred to conduct her demonstration.

Instead, Strength came back with another site, and a surprise one at that, because it is owned by the Augusta National. The site borders Washington Road about three-tenths of a mile from the club’s main members’ entrance at Magnolia Lane.

Strength approached Augusta National about making the site available and the club agreed, said Augusta National spokesman Glenn Greenspan.

According to Strength, the proposed site would serve all the groups who receive permits to protest.

“The city of Augusta owns no property in this area and this is the closest open space to the club entrance that would be safe for everyone and enable the city to treat everyone requesting a permit the same,” Strength said.

Burk’s initial reaction to Strength’s proposal was negative.

“I don’t know where it is, but wherever it is, you sure don’t have the access to the main gate where the members come in,” she said.