VICTORIOUS ATLAS ACTION — SEATTLE TRANSIT REFUSES ANTI-ISRAEL BUS ADS!

Forty-five minutes ago, King County transit issued a statement that they would be refusing the anti-Israel, anti-semitic ads. It's a bad day for nazis and Jew-haters. Huge victory for us. Is Ibrahim Hooper weeping?

Objective achieved: Jew-hate ads dropped after Atlas exposed their hypocrisy.

But wait. It gets better. They have changed their ad policy. Isn't that special? They refused AFDI's pro-Israel ad. This is the heckler's veto. Truth is hate speech. This is actionable, legally actionable, IMAO. They were down with the Jew-haters until we responded with fierce truth. And then they say, never mind. Your relentless calls and letters. The Atlas bus ads, singular and hard hitting. Congratulations to all Atlas readers who made it happen. But they won't get off so easy.

The President of Titan360 called me to advise me:

Ms. Geller: Thank you for taking the to chat with me earlier. As we discussed, your ad was rejected by King County Metro for the reasons stated below (see email from KCM administrator below). Thank you. Scott.

—— Forwarded Message
From: Sharron Shinbo <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:41:06 -0500
To: Pamela Quadros <[email protected]>

Greetings Pamela,
Based on our current advertising restrictions, the proposed American Freedom Defense Initiative ads cannot be accepted. The advertisements do not comply with Subsections 6.4(D) and (E) of our contract, which are set forth below:
D. Any material that is so objectionable under contemporary community standards as to be reasonably foreseeable that it will result in harm to, disruption of, or interference with the transportation system.
E. Any material directed at a person or group that is so insulting, degrading or offensive as to be reasonably foreseeable that it will incite or produce imminent lawless action in the form of retaliation, vandalism or other breach of public safety, peace and order.
The content of the advertisements and the unprecedented response that the County has received to another recently proposed ad of a similar nature show that the American Freedom Defense Initiative ads do not meet the standards set forth in these sections, including among other things, that they pose an unacceptable risk of harm, disruption and interference with the transportation system and other breaches of the public safety, peace and order.
Please inform the sponsor of the advertisements.

 
Sharron Shinbo
Please note my new email address is [email protected]
Metro Transit Division
Sales and Customer Services
201 South Jackson Street MS KSC-TR-0894
Seattle, WA 98104-3856
phone (206) 684-1547
fax (206) 263-4454

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Here's the press spin:

SEATTLE – The uproar over an inflammatory anti-Israel ad proposed for Metro buses has prompted King County officials to not only reject the ad but to temporarily ban any and all non-commercial ads on buses.

King County Executive Dow Constantine said he approved the new policy because the proposed ads had the potential to cause disruptions to Metro transit service.

"The escalation of this issue from one of 12 local bus placards to a widespread and often vitriolic international debate introduces new and significant security concerns that compel reassessment," said Constantine.

The offending ad reads "Israeli war crimes: your tax dollars at work." The Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign paid Metro $1,800 for the message to be featured in a dozen buses.

King County Metro said it also is rejecting proposed advertising in response to the offending ad from the David Horowitz Freedom Center and the American Freedom Defense Initiative.

Officials said all of the ads posed "an unacceptable risk of harm to, disruption of, or interference with bus service." (more here)

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Previously at Atlas: AFDI's Two Pro-Israel, Counter Jihad Ad Campaigns Submitted in …

 SIOA/AFDI Pro-Israel Bus Ads Campaign Slated to Counter Jewish Blood Libel Ads in Seattle

December 17: Jew-Hatred Bus Ads Run in Seattle