Aren't Watchtower literature trolleys and stands illegal?

by jwfacts 31 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  AnnOMaly

  LOL@cofty. Love that movie.

  Anyway, it all depends on the local authority. The official Org. instructions are,

  4. Site permission and insurance coverage: In some public locations, permission may be needed from a manager or secular authority before setting up a literature display. The service overseer or someone else designated by the body of elders should determine what may be legally required, if anything, in the way of permissions, permits, and insurance coverage. Any application to use a mobile cart or to set up a table or kiosk to display literature must be filled out in the name of an individual publisher, not in the name of the congregation, any corporation used by the organization, or “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” If a small administrative fee is needed in order to acquire space in a public area, it is to be paid by the individual publisher, not the congregation. Publishers should carefully review any such applications to see what responsibility they are taking upon themselves with respect to liability. Publishers who apply to distribute literature at these areas are doing so on their own initiative as part of their personal ministry.

  - BOE letter, Witnessing in public places, July 15, 2014.

  Also note who has liability.
• 

  Ignoranceisbliss

  Our congregation has yet to get permission to use the cart anywhere in our territory. Therefore it is sitting idle. Someone mentioned that Meier (local bustling super market) won't allow any solicitors outside of its store. Not even Salvation Army. Supposedly if they allow one group then they have to allow all groups to have their turn.

  I had an interesting discussion with an elder yesterday regarding cart work. I asked if he would do it. His response

  "get to count time for sitting there and doing nothing? Sure, I'm in"
• 

  jwfacts

  Cofty, great clip.

  AnnOMaly, interesting but to be expected that this falls upon the publisher rather than the congregation or Watchtower organisation. In areas where there is a cost, I wonder how long the trolleys will be around. The one near my work was regularly in the mall, but has not been there for some time now. The novelty will wear off for publishers that have to buy a license to sit in places where no one ever comes over to talk.
• 

  tim hooper

  You don’t need permission from the council if the printed material is being distributed:

  • for a charity
  • for a political or religious group
  • inside a building, bus or taxi
  • in letterboxes

  https://www.gov.uk/permission-to-distribute-leaflets
• 

  jwfacts

  Interesting Tim. I don't know if the rules are different in Australia, or if the Parramatta spokesperson was incorrect.
• 

  besty

  I think every local government will have different guidelines...
• 

  blondie

  It depends on the laws of the entity controlling that space.

  In my area

  state

  county

  city

  university

  private property such as malls

  and various small towns and villages

  ........all have their own laws monitoring street witnessing/leafleting

  to prevent people in those areas from being harassed or have easy and safe passage impeded

  In my area, people are prevented from blocking entrances to buildings and from approaching people without their wish to be

  There is no way I can do a blanket statement about 50 US states and their indvidual municipalities, let alone the various sovereign nations in the world.

  I would suggest check your local laws online, or call the entities that make/and or enforce those laws in your area. If you want to lodge a complaint this could be a good time to do it.

  I know the laws in my area and the jws are adhering to them as they have over the past 60 years in this area with street witnessing and tables.
• 

  LisaRose

  Where I live (California) they have to allow people collecting signatures for referendums, charities and so forth. At Trader Joe's they had a sign saying they did not approve of the people collecting signatures (not JWs, but very pushy) but they could not prevent them from being there, they encouraged people to ignore them.
• 

  Phizzy

  I would simply love to see them prosecuted for Obstruction or something, then they could cry "Persecution!".
• 

  blondie

  Don't worry, we have very energetic anti-abortion groups that block the sidewalks, wave their signs, and yell at people walking to and fro whether they are going into the clinic or not. Or the Westboro Baptist Church that demonstrates at military funerals re homosexuality. Or political rallies, your party and theirs. Or people that want to highlight a critical community need.

  I don't know the laws outside the US, but here those things are allowed under the Constitution.

  Some restrictions can be put in place, as with Westboro limiting the distance they can be near; there are restrictions as to how close you can be to a polling place and when and where political matter can be handed out.

  Compared to what I have seen in my area, jws are very, very tame compared to the volume and density of the crowds.