Judge Blocks Tennessee House GOP Rule Banning Signs From Statehouse Galleries
A judge blocked a new rule banning signs in the galleries of the Tennessee House of Representatives, following a lawsuit filed on behalf of three women who were expelled for protesting during a special legislative session on gun legislation.
Tennessee Republican Lawmaker Orders Removal of Public During Special Session on Gun Legislation
Families close to a Nashville fatal school shooting broke down in tears Tuesday after a Tennessee Republican leader ordered state troopers to remove them and others from a legislative hearing room while they waited to testify in favor of gun control measures.
Eleventh Circuit Upholds Preliminary Injunction Against DeSantis’ ‘Anti-Riot’ Bill
Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida granted a preliminary injunction against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “anti-riot” bill in September 2021, stating that the law was “vague and overbroad.”
California Legislature Considers Law Limiting Protest Activity Near Vaccine Sites
If passed, SB742 would create a 100-foot buffer zone around vaccination clinics where individuals cannot “knowingly approach a person... for the purpose of obstructing, injuring, harassing, intimidating, or interfering with... that person in connection with any vaccination services.”
Utah Police Arrest Woman for Stomping on Pro-Police Flag
A Utah Police officer is charging a 19-year-old woman with a hate crime for “stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign” while “smirking in an intimidating manner,” The Salt Lake Tribune reported on July 9th. The woman could face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $2,500 for allegedly destroying stolen property “in a manner to attempt to intimidate law enforcement.”
On June 21st, a federal judge dismissed lawsuits filed against then-President Donald Trump and other federal officials who were being sued for violating the rights of protestors last June. After a group of protestors were forcibly removed from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. on June 1, 2020, the ACLU of D.C., Black Lives Matters, and others filed suit against Trump, then-Attorney William Barr, and other federal officials alleging that they conspired to violate demonstrators right to protest when they cleared the park to allow Trump to pose for a photo op in front of a nearby historic church.
New Report Says Trump Did Not Order Shutdown of Lafayette Square Protests
After the U.S. Park Police (USPP) led law enforcement to forcibly shut down a mostly peaceful protest on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., an hour before a city-wide curfew on June 1st, 2020, the protestors and the press have pushed for answers about who was responsible for the decision. More than a year later, the Department of Interior has published a report with some answers.
Anti-Abortion Group Loses First Amendment Case Against City of Detroit
On June 7th, a Michigan federal court dismissed a First Amendment challenge filed against the city of Detroit by a group of anti-abortion protesters. The case offers an interesting look at how courts balance public safety concerns against the right to protest.