Campaigning in the Park
October 14, 2009 at 10:48 am by Heather MarloweThis past Fourth of July Robin Ficker was campaigning for city council in a Montgomery County, MD, park when police officers came up and told him he was not allowed to carry any sign in the park, thus infringing on his right to free speech. Ficker’s campaign team consisted of himself and one campaign worker who was holding a sign saying “Robin Ficker: Property Tax Relief.”
Ficker demanded to see the rule they were breaking. The police officer pulled out the rule, which read, “Carrying signs or picketing on commission property is forbidden except by permit.” Staff Attorney David Rocah of the ACLU of Maryland states that the county law is unconstitutional because it is overbroad. “In America, you don’t need a permit from the government to talk to people in the park or to carry a sign in the park,” said Rocah.
Tags: free speech
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