NAACP seeks injunction Against Myrtle Beach before next black biker weekend

While a federal lawsuit lumbers toward trial, attorneys for the NAACP want a judge to block Myrtle Beach from enforcing traffic policies they say discriminate against black bikers this Memorial Day. "To prevent further violations of plaintiffs' constitutional rights during Black Bike Week in 2005, the plaintiffs request this court to enter a preliminary injunction prohibiting the city from using its oppressive one-way traffic pattern along Ocean Boulevard," said the motion. The NAACP sued almost two years ago, alleging the city discriminates against blacks during a motorcycle rally held each Memorial Day weekend. The majority of those attending the rally are black. The suit was filed by the Conway branch of the civil rights organization and 18 individual plaintiffs. It alleges those attending the Atlantic Beach Bikefest are treated differently from those attending the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Myrtle Beach Rally, a predominantly white bike rally held the previous week. Atlantic Beach is a small, predominantly black town north of Myrtle Beach. The suit alleges traffic enforcement discriminates against black bikers and that Ocean Boulevard, the hotel-lined street closest to the beach, is limited to one-way traffic, causing congestion. It contends that policy is discriminatory causing blacks to feel unwelcome and that there are far more police on hand than during the Harley rally.  [more]