Bill to Increase Fines And Penalties For Protestors Vetoed

“I believe that blocking access to freeways and airports is a matter of public safety for everyone involved,” Governor Mark Dayton wrote in a letter to the speaker of Minnesota’s […]

Lata Nott: These Two States Are Pushing Laws To Criminalize Some Protests

The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment expert, Lata Nott, originally published this podcast on the Newseum blog, and has given First Amendment Watch permission to reprint.   Rightly or wrongly, certain […]

Are Student Walkouts Protected By the First Amendment?

After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students around the country quickly began to protest gun violence. One way gaining much attention: student walkouts. School administrators have responded both positively and negatively to these demonstrations. Now various advocacy groups are calling for  a national walkout for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. March 14 in solidarity with the victims of the Florida tragedy. Are these protests protected by the First Amendment?

U.S. Ninth Circuit Strikes Down Idaho’s Ag Gag Law

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Idaho’s ag gag law that criminalized the making of undercover videos at agricultural facilities violates the First Amendment. The […]

Court Rules Baring Breasts Not Protected by First Amendment

The United States Court of Appeals for the  Seventh Circuit ruled that a Chicago ordinance did not violate the First Amendment freedom of speech or the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection […]

Louisiana Parish Council Passes Bill to Protect Flag From Desecration

The Iberville Parish Council without debate and against the American Civil Liberties Union’s recommendation passed an ordinance “to prohibit flag desecration of (the) American Flag, Louisiana Flag and Iberville Parish Flag.” Council […]

Players Who Sit Out National Anthem Under Fire From President Trump

Over the weekend, President Trump took aim at players who have more explicitly over the past year taken to kneeling, sitting or raising a fist during the playing of the National Anthem in order to bring awareness to racism and police brutality. In response to the President's tweets, NFL players in games across the country responded by kneeling or sitting out the national anthem. Debate bubbled over on social media over whether this was a fireable offense or freedom of expression.

NRA Criticized for Attacking First Amendment Right to Protest

In an open letter, Women’s March Leader Tamika Mallory writes, “The advertisement released by the NRA is a direct attack on people of color, progressives and anyone who exercises their […]