On Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:14:04 -0700, jps wrote:


Looks like some judges may still be interested in protecting people's
constitutional rights...

Wonder if that'll filter up to the SCOTUS.


A federal judge Monday afternoon ordered Tennessee to stop enforcing
new rules that restricted “Occupy Nashville” demonstrators’ ability to
protest in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties
Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN).

“The state cannot arbitrarily create restrictive policies just because
it does not like how people are using a public space,” said ACLU-TN
Legal Director Tricia Herzfeld. “Today’s decision is the first step in
restoring demonstrators’ free speech rights.”

The protesters had been camped at Legislative Plaza in downtown
Nashville to protest the economic and political consolidation of power
since October 9.

But on October 27, Tennessee enacted new rules without any public
review process that eliminated their right to gather after 4:00 p.m.
and implemented a 10:00 pm curfew on the plaza. The state also
required protesters to pay use and security fees and to obtain
$1,000,000 in liability insurance coverage prior to engaging in any
assembly activity.

Those rules make damn good sense.

Shouldn't be any bitchin' about 'em either!