Published December 13, 2014 <\/p>\n
FILE- In this Dec. 11, 2010 file photo, SantaCon participants John Paul, center, dressed as an Elf and Michael Smallwood, dressed as Santa, ride the E train downtown New York. The annual event has faced mounting pressure from politicians, police and community groups as it grew from hundreds to thousands of costumed participants in roughly a decade. This years festivities fall on the same day as a planned march to protest recent killings of unarmed civilians by police. Santacon organizers are asking celebrants to keep their partying indoors (AP Photo\/Mary Altaffer, File)(The Associated Press) <\/p>\n
NEW YORK New York's costumed pub crawl known as SantaCon is under way after a prominent civil rights lawyer gave attendees lesson in the First Amendment. <\/p>\n
Lawyer Norman Siegel said Saturday the government cannot ban SantaCon. But he said the government can reasonably regulate the event. <\/p>\n
SantaCon organizers retained Siegel last week as part of an effort to tame the excesses of the daylong party. Attendees started spreading out among midtown bars shortly after he spoke. <\/p>\n
New Yorkers have complained in past years about drunken Santas vomiting in the streets. But organizers say last year's SantaCon raised $60,000 for charity, mostly through partnerships with participating bars. <\/p>\n
This year's festivities fall on the same day as a planned protest over killings by police. <\/p>\n
SantaCon organizers have expressed respect for the demonstration. <\/p>\n
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NYC's SantaCon kicks off with First Amendment lesson<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Published December 13, 2014 FILE- In this Dec. 11, 2010 file photo, SantaCon participants John Paul, center, dressed as an Elf and Michael Smallwood, dressed as Santa, ride the E train downtown New York. The annual event has faced mounting pressure from politicians, police and community groups as it grew from hundreds to thousands of costumed participants in roughly a decade Continue reading