ALBANY - The police presence that came when protesters with the New York State Poor People’s Campaign took to the streets wasn’t wanted — and it wasn’t needed — according to the campaign's organizers.

Because of that, they say they aren’t paying the $1,451 bill the city of Albany sent to them for police detail at one of the group's recent demonstrations.

“We believe that this bill appears to be designed as a penalty, or punishment, for participating in protected activity on May 21,” said Mark Mishler, an Albany attorney representing the local campaign. “We also believe it is an effort to chill, intimidate, or bully people from continuing to engage.”

Participants and supporters of the campaign – a national movement seeking to draw attention to those impacted by poverty, racism, militarism and environmental devastation, and change the system to address those concerns – see the bill sent after the May 21 protests as stifling free speech and assembly.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan expressed frustration following the second of four protests the group held at the state Capitol, which she said blocked traffic causing delays for mass transit relied upon by the poor in Albany.

“The feedback we received from residents who lived in the neighborhood where traffic was shut down said these protests are disrupting their lives in a manner they cannot afford,” said Brian Shea, Sheehan’s chief of staff. “These might be small issues to these organizers, but when people are seeking help and an explanation they call City Hall, and our obligation is to them.”

City departments typically bill groups when services like a police detail, or street cleaning, are needed, which is part of the discussions the city has with the groups when they apply for event permits. Albany Police spokesman Steve Smith said the department in the past has billed presidential campaigns as well as an organization that came to protest crude oil trains in May 2016, the latter bill totaling $45,768.

Service bills for the Poor People’s Campaign Demonstrations on May 14, May 29 and June 4 in Albany are still being tabulated, Smith said.

Since Albany is the seat of state government, city officials have long-voiced concern over the costs of being the Capital City with its many tax-exempt properties. To mitigate those costs, the city has received additional state aid – this year $12 million – to help alleviate costs associated with state buildings being off the tax rolls.

For Albany, being the capital also means many activists and lobbyists visit the city to stage demonstrations and marches on various issues. City officials say they work with hundreds of groups throughout the year, and usually can collaborate to provide public safety, mitigate impacts to city residents and control costs.

While the Poor People's Campaign applied for state permits to assemble at West Capitol Park, it didn't apply for city permits.

Albany requires groups planning a demonstration or other events, like a charity walk, on city property to submit a special event permit. The application asks organizers to detail whether traffic control or street cleaning may be necessary, which prompts the conversation on costs for those services.

“For any event that occurs on city property, or requires city services, we have a permitting process, which maintains public safety, mitigates disruption to residents and controls costs,” Shea said. “All we’re asking is for the same courtesy they afforded the state.”

Mishler alleged the city doesn’t enforce the permit requirement, and thus the group made the “pragmatic decision” to file permits with the state – which are requested for scheduling purposes so space is available – but not the city.

“While some may apply for permits, it is not something that is required or enforced, and therefore there is no reason for a grassroots group to do that,” he said. “We believe that the First Amendment is the permit.”

City officials denied selectively enforcing the permit rules, and emphasized they’ve worked with many groups to coordinate proper safety in the past.

Still, Poor People's Campaign members feel the charge from the city isn't justified.

Benjamin Perry, a New York City resident who has helped coordinate the campaign in New York, said police are unnecessary for their peaceful demonstrations where participants are experienced in coordinating protests in a safe manner.

“We did not request any police, and so to charge us for police is an abridgment of our rights,” he said. “To charge us for things that are well within the scope of the city’s responsibility, especially given the context, is a pretty clear act of intimidation.”

As the campaign gains momentum across the country – Poor People's Campaign demonstrations have been held in about 40 capital cities across the nation – organizers say they’ll continue to participate in nonviolent, civil disobedience to push for change. The group will be back at the Capitol on Monday.

Organizers say focusing on one day of disruption for residents misses the larger problem they’re trying to draw attention to – racism, poverty, militarism and ecological devastation.

“This is a crisis,” Mishler said. “The only way to call attention to this and accept change is to stop business as usual and make people pay attention and make things happen.”