The Thomas Merton Center, organizers of a large protest during the Sept. 24-25 G-20 summit of world leaders, has received a bill for related police services from the city of Pittsburgh -- but doesn't intend to pay.

Merton Center spokeswoman Melissa Minnich said yesterday that the invoice for $6,346.44 itemizes the costs for the work done by several dozen police officers during the center's march from Oakland to Downtown. She said the center has involved the American Civil Liberties Union.

"The Merton Center doesn't have $6,000," said Witold J. Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. "You can't limit free speech rights to those who can afford the freight."

He said the ACLU represented groups that sued the city in 2003 to overturn a parade ordinance that compelled payment for city police and other personnel. The lawsuit resulted in new rules that exempt First Amendment activity by organizations without the ability to pay for city services.

"Certainly that [march] was First Amendment activity," he said. "We're hoping it's just a new police official who doesn't understand the rules and it can all be worked out short of a court action."

If not, he said, "we'll be in court before [the Merton Center has] to pay the cost of engaging in a free speech protest."

He said he tried to contact city lawyers yesterday to work the matter out, but was unsuccessful. The city solicitor, police spokeswoman, and mayoral spokeswoman could not be reached late yesterday for comment.

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