P.O. Box 77208, Atlanta, GA 30357 770.303.8111|
[email protected] February 6, 2018 Captain Lewis Young Capitol Police Division 180 Central Avenue Atlanta, GA 30303 Via E-mail c/o
[email protected] and Certified Mail Re: Free Speech on Sidewalk in Front of Georgia State Capitol Building Dear Captain Young, Freedom of speech is essential to democracy. For centuries, sidewalks have been one of the traditional places where concerned citizens have exercised their First Amendment rights. We write to you in response to disturbing reports that the Capitol Police Division may have unconstitutionally infringed on certain activists’ freedom of speech on the sidewalks of Capitol Square last week. This suppression was not only likely unconstitutional, but also inconsistent with your own policies and guidelines. See Pages 10-11 of Exhibit A (“Capitol and Grounds Exhibit and Event Guidelines”).1 So long as they do not block pedestrian traffic, people must be allowed to speak freely on those public sidewalks. The ACLU of Georgia recently received a report that last Wednesday, January 31, 2018, members of the Georgia Capitol Police Division dispersed about 20 activists who were holding signs and exercising their free speech rights on the public sidewalk in front of the ceremonial entrance to the Georgia State Capitol Building on Washington Street. See Exhibits B (photo of sidewalk at issue), C (officers ordering dispersal). The activists were gathering as part of WokeWednesdays, an activist event taking place every Wednesday from 12:30pm to 1:00pm at the Georgia State Capitol while the legislature is in session.2 If these reports are true, then your officers have likely violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.