Why Was Billboard With Message About Gaza Removed? Today, Embarrassed To Be From Western New York And Family Business Having Engaged With Lamar Advertising
Why Was Billboard With Message About Gaza Removed?
Baton Rouge Company Removes Billboard In Buffalo Contracted By Buffalo Organization
Today, Embarrassed To Be From Western New York And Family Business Having Engaged With Lamar Advertising
Divergence, Debate, Disagreement, Controversy, Are All Parts Of What Makes The United States Strong, Resilient
The article was on the lower right front page of Section B, City & Religion, in the three-section issue of The Buffalo News.
What articles did make the front page of the newspaper on Saturday, 25 November 2023? There were four: “City to pay $43M to woman injured in police crash” “Grand Island mourns couple killed in crash at Falls bridge” “Black Friday lacks appeal of yesteryear” and “Johnson’s release of riot video feeds conspiracy theories”
The article “Billboards calling for peace in Gaza removed in Buffalo” should have been on the front page of the newspaper. Why? The basis for the article is a question about the freedom of expression, enshrined as an amendment included in the United States Constitution published in 1787 and adopted in 1789. Important to note that the amendment was the first amendment- clearly a message from the crafters and the adopters that it was important.
“First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
A challenge for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Lamar Advertising (2022 revenue US$2 billion), an outdoor advertising company which operates billboards, logo signs, and transit displays in the United States and Canada, should be that the company has contracts with the government of Erie County and with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). Political leadership within Erie County and managerial leadership at the NFTA should intervene and require Lamar Advertising to reinstate immediately the billboards as per the original contract. Link to Lamar Advertising 2022 Annual Report
The Buffalo News
Buffalo, New York
25 November 2023
By Debadrita Sur (dsur@buffnews.com)
Billboards calling for peace in Gaza removed in Buffalo
The Western New York chapter of Muslim Public Affairs Council wanted to send a very public message to Western New York that it was for the end of violence. “Our message was very simple, a message that has been adopted by many Americans in recent polls,” said Dr. Khalid Qazi, former president of the organization. But it found that doing so on billboards was not an option.
After its message ran on the outdoor signs for six days on two of Buffalo’s most heavily traveled expressways, Lamar Advertising removed them with no explanation, Qazi said. The billboards were supposed to have remained for two weeks. Lamar reimbursed the money for the days the ad was not displayed. Qazi called the decision a violation of the First Amendment and the group’s right of free speech and expression. Lamar officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Carolynn B. Sozen, who is also a part of the council, said the purpose of the billboards on the Kensington and Scajaquada expressways was twofold: to send a message to community leaders and convey the voices of the people across Western New York who desperately want to see the violence end overseas. It was also a tool to show solidarity to Muslim community members in Western New York who might feel alone, unseen and unheard, Sozen said.
Those calling for a cease-fire in Gaza have often been accused of supporting Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7. “Nobody condones any murder or kidnapping,” Qazi said. “We condemn all kinds of terrorism.”
“We want a simple thing: Stop the killing and stop the war in Gaza,” said Husam Ghanim, a research associate professor at the Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo who is also a member of the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council is trying to determine whether to pursue legal action about the billboards. Collin Anderson, a political scientist at UB, said the incident is part of a wider debate around whether it would be seen as an infringement of free speech legally in the United States. Ethically and morally, it is a different story, he said. “This is a great example of self-censorship,” he said. “This isn’t the government forcing Lamar to do it. It’s Lamar, who is apparently afraid of the backlash that they’ve been receiving, and afraid for what it means for the business, opting to just not participate in the conversation.”
Author’s Note: I was born in Buffalo, New York. For nearing thirty years, my father’s retail store (hobbies, arts, crafts) made payments to Lamar Advertising for outdoor billboards placed throughout Western New York and for indoor locations including among the first to contract at the new Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BNIA). My father’s company was also among the first commercial advertisers in a newsletter published by the organization WNY Muslims (https://www.wnymuslims.org) along with inclusion in the retail store’s a discount program:
“WNY Muslims (when customer mentions they saw our advertisement at www.wnymuslims.org) 10% off any one item. Limit one purchase per day, per person. Valid on in-store purchases only. Not valid on layaway, previously discounted items, special orders, select items excluded (including but not limited to Lionel, Atlas O scale locomotives & track, dollhouse kits).”
My father’s company made outreach to the Muslim community in Western New York a priority, including providing guidance to employees about how to respectfully interact with Muslim men, Muslim women, Muslim children, and Muslim couples.