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LATRIESTE RESTAURANT v. VIL. OF PORT CHESTER

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department.
Feb 21, 1995
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Ordered that the order is reversed insofar as appealed from, with one bill of costs payable by the respondents appearing separately and filing separate briefs, and the branch of the plaintiffs' motion which was for a preliminary injunction to restrain the defendants and all demonstrators from entering and remaining on the property located at 140 Midland Avenue, Port Chester, New York, is granted.

There is no First Amendment right to picket or demonstrate on private property, including private driveways and parking lots, against the wishes of the property owner and/or tenant-in-possession (see, e.g., Pro-Choice Network v. Project Rescue W. N.Y., 799 F. Supp. 1417, 1434; Town of W. Hartford v. Operation Rescue, 726 F. Supp. 371, 382-383, vacated and remanded on jurisdictional grounds 915 F.2d 92). The plaintiff has therefore demonstrated its likelihood of success on the merits.

Moreover, the defendants admit that their purpose in picketing is to drive the plaintiff, a cabaret featuring topless dancing, out of business. The intended total destruction of the plaintiff's enterprise by the defendants' continuing trespass rises to the level of imminent irreparable harm (see, e.g., New York State Trawlers Assn. v. Jorling, 764 F. Supp. 24, 26, affd 940 F.2d 649), for the prevention of which the property owner and tenant-in-possession are entitled to injunctive relief (see, Pro-Choice Network v. Project Rescue, supra, at 1432; Price Paper Twine Co. v. Miller, 182 A.D.2d 748). Finally, the injury to the defendants if they are forced to continue their protest on the nearby public sidewalk is far outweighed by the financial loss to the plaintiff should the injunction not issue, so that the equities tip in favor of the plaintiff (Pro-Choice Network v Project Rescue, supra, at 1431-1432). Santucci, J.P., Joy, Friedmann and Florio, JJ., concur.