City Cannot Restrict Size of Anti-Abortion Signs On Parade Route

A minister and his family in Granite City, Illinois have won the right to hold large signs reflecting their religious beliefs about abortion on the sidelines of the city's Labor Day parade, according to a report yesterday from the Madison Record. A city ordinance prohibits signs larger than 8 1/2 by 11 inches within 25 feet of a parade route. However an Illinois federal district court has ruled that this violates the free speech rights of those who want to make their views known to politicians in the parade. Judge William Stiehl wrote:

There is no valid basis for the argument that an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sign is the least restrictive alternative available to meet the goals of free pedestrian traffic, unobstructed views by parade goers and public safety.... The Court is hard pressed to think of a more public forum than a Labor Day parade full of local, state and even national politicians who will travel down a major city street. This is precisely the type of forum that the courts have recognized as a critical venue for the free expression of speech by citizens.