A story in Saturday's newspaper mistakenly reported there would be free parking throughout Hamilton during the Christmas season. Parking fees are still required at the Number One Shed and City Hall parking lots.

Liberty Theatre has secured the right to show the movie Malcolm X this month.

After weeks of controversy brought about by the exclusive showing of the film at Little Theatre, Liberty manager Ms Nelda Simons yesterday said the Spike Lee movie would be screened at the Union Street theatre from December 22.

"We have completed our process of negotiations and on Wednesday afternoon we were informed we had secured it,'' she said.

The movie, which opened at Little Theatre on November 25, will run for a week or longer at Liberty -- depending on demand -- before it goes to Neptune Cinema in Dockyard.

And Ms Simons said based on indications she has received so far from Liberty patrons, the movie should be well received.

An anonymous protest group last week threatened to picket the movie at Little Theatre because of the cinema's link with a theatre that banned black people in the past.

The group also placed an advertisement in The Royal Gazette encouraging people to boycott the theatre.

But Little Theatre co-owner Mr. Lee White said yesterday business was brisk last weekend and its evening shows during the week had more people than normal.

Mr. White, however, conceded that he "expected it to be busier''.

He said some people could be waiting to see the movie next week since it will be showing there up to next Thursday.

Or, he said, it was possible that people were waiting to see it elsewhere.

"After all the articles and news reports, maybe it will have some effect,'' Mr. White said. "It's unfortunate. We'll have to wait and see.'' Ms Simons accused Little Theatre of using the "back door'' to get the film.

She said while Liberty was negotiating to have the movie distributed locally, its buyer -- who has personal contacts with the film producer California-based Largo International -- went directly to the producer.

Ms Simons said this was not illegal, but unethical.

She stressed that Liberty did its homework and began work on getting the movie before October.

But she said they only learned in October that Warner Brothers did not have the full distribution rights.

"We had to track down who had it,'' Ms Simons said, adding that she would rather "err on the side of ethics and lose out, than go the other route''.

"In the end it comes back to haunt you,'' she said.

But Mr. White insisted that his company did nothing unethical.

He said Little Theatre's buyer had been in the business for many years and ran several theatres.

He also questioned the sincerity of those who objected to Little Theatre having Malcolm X.

And he asked why the same people did not boycott other local businesses with histories of discrimination against blacks.