Coalition to Challenge Court Ban on Sidewalk Chalking in Front of the White House
Rev. Patrick Mahoney will write the First Amendment in sidewalk chalk on the public sidewalk in front of D.C. District Court of Appeals.The event will take place on Wednesday, June 29, at 11:00 A.M. The location is the U.S. District Federal Court Constitution and 3rd Street N.W. (The chalking will be on the 3rd Street side.)
Rev. Mahoney applied to have a sidewalk chalk display in front of the White House in January of 2009.
The purpose of the display was to challenge President Obama to stand for human rights and social justice and work to end the violence of abortion.
The sidewalk “chalking” was to be with bio-degradable chalk and in the permit Rev. Mahoney agreed to leave the street in the same condition it was in before the chalking.
On June, 21, 2011, the D.C. District Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ban on sidewalk chalking in front of the White House.
Below is Rev. Mahoney’s response to that decision:
“Sadly, the D.C. District Court of Appeals got it wrong with their June, 21 decision upholding the ban on sidewalk chalking in front of the White House and chilling free speech.
“For years, we have been allowed to use sidewalk chalk to communicate messages in Washington, D.C. In fact, we have never been denied the right to sidewalk chalk in our nation’s capitol until this decision.
“This, despite the fact, that sidewalk chalk displays are routinely held in Washington, D.C. like the ‘Chalk-in’ at George Washington University every year. See the picture above.
“We also promised to use bio-degradable sidewalk which would not harm the environment in our display and leave the street in the exact same condition as before the chalking.
“In spite of this, Judge Kavanaugh issued one of the worst concurring opinions I have ever seen. He said, ‘No one has a First Amendment right, for example, to spray-paint the Washington Monument or smash the windows of a police car.’ We agree.
“However, it is is inconceivable that a federal judge can liken peacefully using bio-degradable sidewalk chalk and cleaning up afterward, to spray painting the Washington Monument and smashing police car windows. This is one of the most ridiculous and pathetic opinions I have seen in any court decision let alone from a Federal Appeals Judge.
“Simply stated, it is a disgrace.
“So, in response to this outrageous decision, we are going to peacefully and prayerfully sidewalk chalk the First Amendment on the public sidewalk in front of the D.C.. District Court. We will use bio-degradable chalk and clean up afterward.
“We can never be silent when it comes to free speech and freedom of expression in the public square and we think it is important to remind these judges of the principles of the First Amendment and our Founding Fathers.”
(Source: Christian Newswire)
