There will be no camping. No rallies on a bridge.

But there was one victory for demonstrators that came out of a federal lawsuit filed against the city by several activist groups planning to protest against the G-20 summit.

CodePink Women for Peace and Three Rivers Climate Convergence will be allowed to use Point State Park from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening to host public awareness programs on refugee camps around the world and to publicize global climate issues. They originally were denied a permit because the city claimed it would conflict with the Junior Great Race on Sunday, as well as a "mega event," being organized by state Sen. Jim Ferlo for Wednesday.

"The good news here is the most prime piece of Pittsburgh real estate, Point State Park, cannot be reserved just for the rich and powerful," said Witold Walczak, the legal director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

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Though representatives from Three Rivers Climate Convergence and the Thomas Merton Center expressed disappointment, both organizations said that they would move forward and come up with alternatives that will comply with the court's ruling.

U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster issued his opinion yesterday following a day's worth of testimony on Wednesday.

He was asked to consider three issues: a request by Three Rivers Climate Convergence to camp overnight at Schenley Park to demonstrate sustainability; allow the Thomas Merton Center to march to the Andy Warhol Bridge on Sept. 25 and hold a rally there; and to give CodePink and Three Rivers Climate access to Point State Park.

Judge Lancaster said he thought that the camping request -- described by the plaintiffs as a type of expressive speech -- was simply an attempt to gain free sleeping arrangements for out-of-town protesters.

"The scope of the plaintiffs' request is unprecedented," he said. "At the outset, I have serious doubts that sleeping out overnight in a city park is expressive conduct."

The judge went on to say that the plaintiffs failed to show that their First Amendment rights were violated.

Allowing 300 to 500 people to camp at Schenley, he continued, would be a large expense on the city and put an even greater burden on city police officers.

Further, Judge Lancaster said he took into consideration the practical implications of granting such a permit would open the city up to other groups making the same request.

"It would present insurmountable problems for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation," he said.

But Lisa Fithian, a Texas organizer working with Three Rivers Climate Convergence, disagreed with his assessment.

"We feel like the court doesn't fully understand what we hope to accomplish," she said. "Climate change, right now, is a critical issue."

Her organization planned to show sustainable ways to live with a week-long camp. Now, she said, they will demonstrate during park hours, possibly at both Schenley and Point State Park.

As for the Thomas Merton Center, the group plans to host a march from Oakland to the City-County Building and then to a rallying point near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

It had asked the city to allow a rally on the Warhol Bridge.

However, during testimony, two city police officers said that such a rally would be both dangerous and hard to secure.

Judge Lancaster agreed, saying that such a restriction is reasonable and that the city has a significant interest in enforcing the G-20 security perimeter.

He further said that the demonstration zones -- across the Allegheny River on the North Shore, and at the Buncher parking lot in the Strip -- are acceptable.

Merton Center organizers decried a route proposed by the city that would take them from the City-County Building over the Warhol Bridge, along the North Shore, and then back over the 16th Street Bridge as being too burdensome. However, the judge dismissed that argument, calling it an "inconvenience."

He also noted that with today's technology -- and the fact that thousands of journalists are expected in Pittsburgh for the summit -- that the demonstrators' messages should be received.

Jonah McAllister-Erickson, of the Merton Center, said his group will continue to negotiate with the city to find an acceptable alternative rallying point.

"We're not taking anything off the table," he said.

Assistant solicitor Michael Kennedy said that the city would work with the Merton Center.

"We're willing to consider any options they present," he said.

City Council President Doug Shields said that he is asking the city to put out a complete list of permitted activities to include time and location so that the public can participate.

He expressed hope that those demonstrations will be peaceful and orderly.

As for an unsanctioned march planned for Lawrenceville on Thursday, he criticized it.

"I have no use for people who make it clear their intention to do harm to this city whether it's persons or property," he said. "These are folks who are coming to town with no agenda at all other than to draw attention to themselves, to be disruptive and destructive."