Monday, September 13, 2021
#FREESPEECH in the News September 13, 2021
As the Citadel of Free Speech here in Cleveland, we work to protect and promote the basis of our democracy by sharing related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century. Here's what's making the news – and what you should know about – in the past week.
1.) Protests at Delaware prosecutor’s house went beyond free speech, says attorney general
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings says she doesn’t mind that protesters have marched and chanted outside her home several times this summer while demanding the arrest of white police officers for a fatal shooting of a Black man earlier this year.
But now Jennings is protesting the conduct at similar demonstrations outside the home of one of her top prosecutors. She’s gone to Chancery Court in a bid to limit their actions.
The protesters have gathered three times in recent weeks outside the suburban Wilmington home of Deputy Attorney General Mark Denney. He heads the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, which investigates police use of deadly force, among other duties.
2.) Baltimore city solicitor cancels downtown rally; organizer says that violates free speech
Organizers of a November rally are preparing to slap the city of Baltimore with a lawsuit asking a federal judge to restore their right to rally.
Michael Voris, the founder of the Michigan-based Church Militant, says he signed a contract with the city in June allowing them to hold a rally at the Pier 6 Pavilion at the Inner Harbor.
The rally featured former Presidential adviser Steve Bannon and a number of conservative commentators and was set to take place at the same time a conference of Catholic Bishops is scheduled at a nearby hotel.
Voris, who has long criticized the direction of the Catholic Church, was informed in August that the city is cancelling. In a statement, city solicitor Jim Shea blamed the cancellation on "the potential for significant disruption."
Facebook, Google's YouTube and Twitter will fight a new Texas law cracking down on social media companies for allegedly censoring conservative speech and former President Donald Trump.
Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who publicly backed the legislation, signed the bill Thursday, making Texas the second state to target companies for restricting or removing content or accounts for violating their rules.
"There is a dangerous movement by some social media companies to silence conservative ideas and values," Abbott said during a news conference. "This is wrong and we will not allow it in Texas."
The Texas law, passed in the final days of the second special session called by Abbott, would allow any state resident banned from a social media platform for their political views to sue the platform.
