Union Says Officers Violated Janitors’ Rights

Lawyers for a union seeking to represent striking Century City janitors argued in court Thursday that the Police Department has violated the janitors’ right to protest peacefully.

Dan Stormer, an attorney representing the union, urged a judge to issue a temporary restraining order against the department before the janitors hold their next demonstration, scheduled for Thursday.

But Judge Richard Harris withheld his decision until today, when lawyers for the department were expected to submit a videotape in an attempt to bolster their assertion that the demonstrators involved in last Friday’s clash were blocking traffic, Stormer said.