Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Gay Loggers reach goal, to protest as planned

By DANIEL PERSON Chronicle Staff Writer

The Green Coalition of Gay Loggers for Jesus will march on Main Street as planned July Fourth, the organizer of the group said Thursday evening.

Organizer Brian Leland had set a 5 p.m. deadline Thursday to reach his fundraising goal of $1,100, the amount of money the city of Bozeman estimates it will cost it to shut down the downtown thoroughfare for the morning protest.

Leland said Thursday evening that he had raised about $1,500. The $400 difference will be given to the local food bank, he said.

The Green Coalition of Gay Loggers for Jesus was formed to protest how the city went about granting the Bozeman Tea Partys request for a permit march down Main Street on July Fourth.

City staff initially denied the Bozeman Tea Partys request to cordon off the street for two hours while they protested government spending, the growing national debt and taxes. But following pleas from members of the Tea Party, the Bozeman City Commission recommended 4-1 that staffers reverse their decision, which they did.

Leland said the city violated open meeting laws since the discussion was not publicly noticed. Also, he said it is hypocritical for a group to protest government spending while forcing the government to incur costs n thus his emphasis on raising the $1,100 before marching.

Organizers of the Tea Party n who have said they do not oppose Lelands march n do contend that it would set a dangerous precedent to require protestors to pay for a demonstration, since it is a constitutionally protected right.

Organizers for the Tea Party have said they expect 1,000 or more people to turn out for the demonstration. The Tea Party protest is scheduled to line up at 10 a.m. at the Bozeman Public Library and begin marching to the Gallatin County Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. That demonstration is scheduled to end at noon.

The demonstration will be similar to one held on April 15, which brought out a crowd of about 700 in a snowstorm. Organizer Henry Kriegel reasoned that the upcoming march, held on a summer weekend, should draw an even bigger crowd.

The Green Coalition of Gay Loggers for Jesus march is scheduled to line up on Wallace Avenue at 9 a.m. and march from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30. Lelands application for a permit to march on Main stated up to 2,000 people could show up for the rally.

Daniel Person can be reached at dperson@dailychronicle.com or 582-2665.