FREE SPEECH ADVOCATES FILE LAWSUIT IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

On November 29th, 2007, the City Council of San Antonio, Texas overwhelmingly voted to pass a new "Parade" Ordinance that charges a expensive "fee" to marchers who want to be on the street while allowing the "Fiesta" Parade and other "designated" events on the streets for free. Free Speech Advocates have filed a lawsuit in Federal Court.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• free
• speech
• san
• antonio
• city
• council
• esperanza
• center
• first
• amendment
• Fiesta
• parades

[postgraduate]

Another interesting point the Court made:

"Plaintiffs make much out of the fact that this case involves speech in a traditional public forum. But nothing in the Supreme Court's case law suggest that the principles underlying the government's right to support certain messages is limited to certain types of forums."

In other words, the Court ruled that attorney's statement in the video regarding streets is wrong.

[postgraduate]

Another interesting point the Court made:

"Plaintiffs make much out of the fact that this case involves speech in a traditional public forum. But nothing in the Supreme Court's case law suggest that the principles underlying the government's right to support certain messages is limited to certain types of forums."

In other words, the Court ruled that attorney's statement in the video regarding streets is wrong.

[postgraduate]

An interesting point the Court made in its Order:

"The Fact that a group has a constitutional right to voice an opinion does not mean they have a constitutional right to have the government fund their expression of it."

[postgraduate]

The Court ruled that the City needs to tweek its ordinance to make it fully constitutional, however, it DID NOT find that charging the fees for the city's costs of shutting down the street was an infringement on the First Amendment. That portion (the most important, by the way) it ruled to be constitutional.

The writing on the wall is clear that this group's suit is destined to fail.

[ffairlane57]

You can have all the free speech you want...buyt who the hell wants to hear you talk?

[SoNotPC]

So you want to close down city streets at a great inconvenience to the people of San Antonio and have police protection for yourselves at the expense of the citizens, yet do not think the citizens are entitled to reimbursement for those expenses? And you think the City Council is being ridiculous?

It is entitlement attitudes like this that give groups like yours a bad name - and your group already has a poor enough reputation.

Too bad the City cannot recoup attorney's fees from you.

[hoomanity]

We are really fortunate in Austin to have a more logical city council. I'm really sorry that other people around Texas don't have the same free speech rights as we do.